The Collinsport Chronicles VI: Beth's choice
by Maryland Rose
Summary: In 1897 Beth Chavez loved Quentin, and that love led to her death on Widow's Hill. Reborn as Louella Loomis, will she reenact the old tragedy, or hold on to a new life as Willie Loomis wife?
1. Chapter 1

The threat of the gulls is past, but Louella is still hospitalized. Willie learned that she is Beth's reincarnation, and may be reenacting the drama preceding her death in 1897. Julia is back, with her new husband, and her relationship with Barnabas is mending on a new basis. David is at the Old House, in Barnabas' custody, who is having Julia treat him. Sabrina is in Washington, getting the feel of how things work with Maggie.

* * *

BETH' CHOICE

Chapter 1

Kenneth Anderson kissed his wife.

"What happened with Collins yesterday? he asked with mild curiosity.

"He got hysterical" Julia improvised fast "I guess that the gulls got to him. He's very close to Willie and..."

"And he took it personally."

"So I had to give him something for his nerves" Julia didn't say that 'something for his nerves" was a bottle of vodka with enough powered blood dissolved in it to make it go down. But then she wouldn't dared to offer him anything else. Not after the way his system had been screwed up in 1970.

"What gets me is how come the gulls acted the way they did." Kenneth's brow furrowed "Maybe it had to do with radio waves, maybe they were sick. If you listen to people in the street they will tell you it was a curse or something silly like that.

"Does it matter?"

"You know it does. For one thing, the gulls cold have been real sick. And then it is wrong to let people go on believing this supernatural bunk.

"Why not let it pass?" Julia tried to divert him. "they are not hurting you."

"It is a matter of principle. And don't forget that I am a frequent contributor to 'The Humanist' magazine. This would make a nice article."

* * *

Barnabas hesitated before knocking on Willie's door. Should he go in? Maybe Willie would appreciate being left alone.

It was not only that. He wasn't thinking of Willie now. He was thinking of getting a replacement for Willie when Davenport came back.

Still... he shook his head, and knocked.

Willie looked haggard. He had had little sleep since he had first learned that Louella was in the hospital. And he'd get very little until Louella was out of danger.

"Julia says her husband told her that Louella is improving." he began.

"She's still on the critical list, isn't she? Willie stared at him.

"Yes." he admitted reluctantly.

"I knew it" a sob broke through "Jenny won't let her get better."

'Jenny?"

"I should have listened to you. I should have never held that séance."

"What séance?"

"I got impatient. Delia Harding suggested that we try to contact Beth Chavez. But instead we got Jenny Collins. And she told us that Louella is Beth's reincarnation and that she would make her pay for stealing her husband."

Barnabas closed his eyes and tried to think.

Beth's reincarnation. It made sense. David had probably struck Amy before, but not until Louella had moved in with Quentin, reenacting the old pattern, was Magda strong enough to do anything about it.

"Jenny made her run into the gulls?"

"Yes." Willie sobbed again. "if it hadn't been for me, she would have stayed safely inside. But I had to have that séance. I couldn't wait. I sent her to her death!"

Josette running towards Widow's Hill...the image hit Barnabas, shaking him. He hugged Willie close trying to banish the image from his mind.

"Willie" he said when he could trust himself to speak " If I were to make a list of all the times I knew better than to do what I did, I'd run out of paper. Louella's still alive. We know what her trouble is. We can help her."

"Jenny won't let you."

"I don't think that she'll be back so soon."

"How can you know?"

"It takes energy for a ghost to do that kind of thing. I suspect that Jenny used up a lot when she chased Louella. She will need to, let's say, recharge her batteries first. In the meantime, we can come up with a plan to keep Louella safe."

"A fighting chance" Barnabas wondered how much of it was true, and how much wishful thinking of his part.

Willie relaxed a bit. "I should have never held that séance. I should have never listened to Delia. I could have figured out why she said what she said. Derek isn't into S.M. like she is, so she blamed Louella for it."

Willie was talking too much. He needed to. Barnabas understood Willie's need and let him continue.

"So what happened?"

"She told me that Derek was falling in love with Louella. She said she had seen wounds in Louella's throat, and that Derek refused to tell her anything about it. I didn't bother to check whether she was telling the truth."

Barnabas shifted uneasily. "She was."

'You mean he did bite her."

"No. I did. To protect her."

"Protect her how?"

"Derek said that he was worried that Louella had too many sleeping pills, and that if she O. before dusk, there was nothing he could do."

"Sleeping pills.."

"So he said it would be better if we put a mental command in Louella's mind to keep away from them, and other ways to hurt herself."

"So you did."

"He insisted I did it. He said he was afraid of bungling it if he did it. I should have told you about it, but I didn't know how you'd take it."

Willie shook his head. "I should have asked you first. It is my fault, really."

"Willie, deciding whose fault it is does not help us fight Jenny."

* * *

Megan unlocked the door. It was good coming back home. She never ceased to amaze herself at her attachment to these old walls. It wasn't much of a home, but she missed it when she was away.

She laid herself back, lighting a cigarette. It felt good this way...

She had business to attend to. But that could wait until tomorrow. Today she would just enjoy being home...

* * *

When Barnabas left, Willie was somewhat calmer. Maybe he would now get some sleep.

As for himself, he had something to do tonight. I weighted on him like a stone.

He wondered if he should feed first. He hadn't fed yesterday, either." he shook his head "No, with his nerves in the shape they were, the mere though of swallowing was enough to make him gag. And it would be this way until he confronted Carolyn.

So why put it off?

Carolyn was alone in her office, working late.

"What do you want this time?" she barked at him.

"I want to make a deal with you."

"I don't want any deals. Specially with you."

"I want you to take off the pressure from Davenport."

"Why should I do that?"

Barnabas sighed. Carolyn had a gift for self-destruction and wasn't even aware of it.

"Because people will get suspicious. They might connect you to the gull attack."

"Connect me? Why?"

"Carolyn" Barnabas grabbed her wrists, losing his patience. "Don't play games with me. I know about Nicholas. I know about the money you paid Joe Haskell. I know about the fake ghost Nicholas made out of smoke. I know that you were behind it. I am trying to cover up for you. But if you are not careful, you will give yourself away. And if the people in town learn of it, I won't be able to keep them from lynching you."

"Is that a threat?"

"No." he released her "I wouldn't hurt you. But you'll hurt yourself one of these days. I am scared for you. Real scared."

"You break my heard. What do you care about me? No one does. The only one who did was Uncle Roger, and you took him away.

Barnabas was shaken by Carolyn's bitterness.

"Don't do this to yourself" he said softly "don't let the hurt you feel dominate your life."

"What would you know, or care, about my hurt?"

"I was once as bitter as you are now." Barnabas paused "the only difference is that the ax had already fallen on me."

"And when do you think that the ax will fall on me?"

"Carolyn! "he was shocked " Don't joke about it."

"Why not?"

"Because there might be real danger for you."

"Danger? What kind?"

"I don't know. I've been thinking..."

"Isn't that a bit unusual for you.?"

"I've been trying to figure out what is wrong with us. With the whole family. How come we are such lighting rods for trouble? There isn't a single generation that wasn't touched by it. Why me? Why Quentin? Why David? Why your mother? I know. Angelique's fault. Judah Zachary's fault. Somebody or other's fault. But why do we keep attracting them? What is it with us? Until yesterday I believed that I had done nothing to bring my curse on me. I was wrong. I had to go up Gallows' Hill to find why Angelique and I were drawn together for both our harms."

"So?"

"Carolyn, I beg you." he said heatedly "you might be attracting trouble to yourself the way I attracted Angelique."

"What kind of trouble do you think it will be?"

"I don't know." he put his hand to his chest. "I have this feeling inside me that, whatever it is, it is worse than anything this place has known."

"Worse than what happened to you."

"So much worse that...that if I knew that my curse would protect you, I'd give it to you, just to keep the _other _away."

* * *

Quentin led Sister Kira into the house.

"You'll like Collinsport, Sister. It is a nice town. Good people. And they need someone like you.

Sister Kira smiled tentatively. She was an attractive woman of thirty five years with high cheekbones and dark hair.

"Do you live here alone?"

"No." he tensed up. "Louella Loomis lives with me...as a housekeeper. She found out that her husband was a homosexual."

Sister Kira crossed herself. "And you gave her the courage to leave him."

"I gave her refuge, yes."

"That was Christian of you."

For a moment Quentin thought that she was mocking him.

"She should be in, by now."

The house was empty, and in the same state that Louella had left it when Jenny had chased her away...the clothes were still on the chair and the bed was unmade.

"What happened here?" Quentin asked.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Quentin's call broke George Brant's reverie.

"Sheriff Brant here."

"This is Quentin Collins."

George sighed. "I know why you are calling. Louella is in the hospital. Still on the critical list, I am sorry to say."

"In the hospital? What happened?"

"She was attacked by gulls and was torn up pretty badly. Her doctor is Kenneth Anderson. You should talk to him."

"Sheriff, this place looks like it has been robbed. Maybe Louella was running away when..."

"Maybe, but unless she is conscious we can't know what happened."

"There are several things missing. Would it help if I gave you the list?"

George cursed Derek inwardly "As you wish, Mr. Collins."

* * *

David tested the strength of the chain. Not that it helped, but there was little else to do.

"Are you through eating?" Phillip came in to pick up the tray.

David shrugged.

"You better eat it all. Julia won't like it if you don't."

"And you'll lock me in the cellar again, maybe?"

"Maybe." Phillip gave him a lopsided smile. "If she thinks it will do you good."

"I will tell Barnabas of it."

"Do you think he doesn't know? Why do you think he brought the cage and chains?"

David grumbled, turning his face away.

"You got troubles, kid. You are not only a werewolf, but also a junkie and a pusher. Just take what is offered to you and say 'Thanks'".

* * *

Amy let Julia and Willie in.

"I don't know" she said "I want to help you. But Chris does not like it when I read the cards."

"Will you do it for Louella's sake?"

"I am not very good at it." She was shaken by Willie's vehemence.

"You did it well enough for Barnabas." Willie tried to sound calm. "We need to know more about Jenny and we don't dare have another séance"

Amy relented. "All right. I'll bring my deck."

"Do you really think this is gonna work?" Willie asked Julia.

"Don't see why not." She tried to be calm, which wasn't easy next to a quivering mass of nerves like Willie. "I talked with Kenneth. He says that soon Louella will be out of the critical list. She is a little slow in recovering, but not below normal."

"She hasn't regained consciousness yet."

"No. Not yet."

"Jenny can get to her while she's still unconscious and we'd never know it."

"Barnabas believes that it will be a while before Jenny is strong enough for it."

"He could be wrong."

"We can only hope that he isn't"

Amy handed the deck to Willie for shuffling, after she laid down the page of Wands.

"Why this card?" Willie asked.

"This is Louella. A woman under thirty, with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Is that all? I thought that there was more meaning than that."

"Wait for the next card. You soon will get all the complicated meanings you want."

Willie gave Amy the shuffled deck. Amy laid the first card.

"It's Death!" Willie rose from the table.

"No, Willie, this doesn't mean..."

"Louella is gonna die!"

Julia shook him. "She's not! Will you wait until she's done with the spread?

"But I know..."

"You don't know. That card rarely means death. What it usually means is change. Important change."

"For better or worse?"

"For that we need the rest of the spread. Will you sit down and allow Amy to finish it?"

Willie sat down obediently, but eyeing the death card with distrust.

The next card was the two of swords.

"This is interesting." Amy tried to make her voice firm "One of the meanings of this card is having to make a choice between two alternatives. A choice that will bring about the change."

"A choice that hasn't been made yet?"

"That's the idea" Amy wished that Willie didn't interrupt so much. It was difficult to concentrate that way.

The next two cards were the King of Coins and the Knight of Wands.

"A choice between two me. One is Quentin. The other one is you."

It was fitting, Julia thought. Quentin, with all his dazzling glamour was the King of Coins. The golden boy for whom things came too easily. And Willie, a mere Knight to Quentin's golden King. Wands, the medieval symbol of those who had neither wealth nor learning and had to work with their hands. A bit slow, a bit dull, without Quentin's charm...

Two Major Arcana were next : The Fool and Temperance.

"I guess that I am the fool" Willie laughed.

"It could also symbolize Jenny's madness." Julia said.

"This one is Temperance. It counteracts the Fool. It is a good influence. It is strange, though." Amy bit her knuckle "I have a feeling that this card should be called something else in this spread."

The last four cards came: The eight of swords, the Queen of swords, the Queen of cups, and the Four of wands."

"Opposition again. The eight of swords means disaster, the four of wands, a happy outcome. It can be one or the other, depending..."

"Depending on whether someone decides not to play the fool anymore," Willie said bitterly.

"Willie, please" Julia tried to calm him.

"The Queen of Swords will bring disaster if you allow her to. The Queen of Cups will bring happiness if you call on her."

"The Queen of Swords should be Jenny" Julia muttered. "But the Queen of Cups, is she a woman or a concept?"

"The Court Cards usually mean persons. Who she is, you must decide for yourself."

"I wish I was more confident than that."

"Louella's life is in danger because of a foolish choice. Not only Willie's but hers. She chose Quentin. There is yet another choice to make. This is the power of love " Amy tapped the Queen of Cups "And reflection and wisdom." Amy tapped the Temperance card "A virtue is involved."

"Which virtue?"

"Connected with love?"

"Love and Charity?"

"Charity!" Amy pointed at the Temperance card. "That's it. That's the name this card should have."

"Charity? Charity Trask?"

* * *

George Brant was fuming silently while studying the list Quentin had given him. Granted that Derek was a crook did he have to be stupid about it, too? How was he going to unravel the mess he had gotten himself with Quentin?

He would have to talk with him, immediately, he decided.

As he was about to leave the phone rang.

It was Megan and she didn't sound pleased.

"How was your trip?

"Never mind my trip. What's the idea of running Sabrina out of town?"

"That was the only way to keep Chris out of jail."

"I don't care about Chris. He can go to Alaska for all I care. But Sabrina's very good at the job. I can't afford to lose her."

"She wouldn't have wanted to work with you, you know that."

"We might have reached an agreement."

"She hates you too much for that."

"I know her."

"So do I. Look, Megan. I am sorry about Sabrina. I tried to find a replacement for her."

"Who?"

"A friend of mine, called Tammy Innes. She's does the same kid of job as Sabrina. Used to be policewoman in NY, but was laid off."

"Why was she laid off?"

"The Big Apple didn't have the money. And there was the matter of her attitude."

"Great. What's wrong with her attitude?"

"She's black and somewhat militant."

"And you plan to send her here?" Did you ever bother to tell her that she'll be working with a witch and a vampire?"

"Not yet."

"And what do you think she'll say when she finds out?"

* * *

He should go see Julia and Willie tonight, Barnabas thought. Find out how it had gone with them and Amy...

And also go back to the office, since the backlog was getting big again..

And see Iris at the hospital...

A hunger pang shot through him. He had to feed. When was the last time he had done so?

Not yesterday, he had been too upset after talking to Carolyn. Not the day before.. He had an appointment with Old Munsungan. Not the day before. He had been too busy looking at Sam's paintings, making his will, and writing letters.

But that was a long time without feeding! Didn't he know how dangerous that was?

He had to feed tonight at the latest.

But not yet. He had to wait until the worst of the pang subsided. He knew it would, and that he could not afford to be ravenous. _She _couldn't afford it.

He studied his little black book. I t had to be someone strong, and, given the way he felt, someone he hadn't touched in six months. That left Frances Jackson out.

Alma Quarles? Yes, she had been hurt by a gull, but it was only a superficial cut.. As she said, she got cut up worse in the kitchen chopping vegetables.

But not yet. Not until the pang subsided. It would subside, it always did, and he'd be in control of himself. Then he would go see Alma.

It took longer than he expected, and he regretted not contacting Julia. Well, anything urgent, she would contact him. Finally the pangs eased out. They would return, and be even worse., but for now he was in control.

Alma was already asleep when he came in. So was her husband. He considering awakening her, but he decided he'd better not. she probably had a rough day and wouldn't appreciate his waking her up to ask permission.

It was just bad manners to wake them up from a deep sleep, just as it was to leave bloodstains that no detergent could remove.

He knelt by her side. She was breathing regularly. He tried to fall in rhythm with her breathing. If his nervousness communicated to her, she might wake up.

He waited thus a couple of minutes, feeling himself grow calmer. Alma's chest rose with slow regularity and he could sense the soft beating in her veins.

Carefully, so as not to throw his weight on her, he bit her. A quick nip and the blood flowed into his mouth.

He kept to Alma's breathing rhythm, up, down, up, down...easy does it, quietly and gently.

He withdrew from her, making sure the wounds were closed before he got up.

He had taken a bit too much, he realized. She might be feeling tired tomorrow. Maybe oversleep. But he didn't think it would be any worse than that. Since he had gone public, there had been a lot less unpleasant side effects from his feeding. Evidently the prostration many women suffered was more due to fear and shock than to loss of blood.

When he turned to leave, he saw a pair of shining eyes in front of him.

"Did you wake up mama?" Elsa said in a whisper.

"What are you doing out of bed?" then, somewhat guiltily, he added. "for how long have you been watching?"

"Just out of bed. Wanted a glass of water."

"Well, better go back to bed."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, with mock disingenuousness "I mean..."

"I was hungry when I came in." he admitted "but no more.

"You got it from mama?"

"Yes." He suspected that she had been watching the whole time.

"You got enough?" she rubbed her throat "Or you want more?"

He was shocked.

"You are too young for that."

"Everyone says that I am too bright for my age."

"That has nothing to do with it." he relented "maybe in ten years I will reconsider your offer."

"Ten years?" To Elsa that sounded like forever.

"Don't be in a hurry to grow up." he patted her on the cheek. "you might regret it later."

Elsa pouted "Come" she said "tugging at his hand."

"What?"

"I want to show you something."

She led him to her room where there was this glass aquarium.

"What are they?"

"Earthworms. Amy gave them to me. Aren't they beautiful?"

In a way they were, at least to other earthworms. Elsa touched one of them and giggled when it curved round her finger.

"Do you think I can sell them to gardeners, or as bait for fishing?

...So that's where Chris' worm farm had ended up... Well, Elsa might make money out of it yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

George Brant's sense of humor was at a low point. There was no way that he could put off Quentin. He had to find his missing property.

But there was no way that he could arrest Pearce, either.

To make things worse, the last inventories had found that four pairs of handcuffs were missing. He had no idea where they could be.

And, as usual, Delia would not let him in. He had to remind her how much trouble he could make for her and Derek before she relented.

"I can't understand what you might want of Derek" she said as she finally let him in.

"Just to recover some stolen property."

"He's not a thief."

"I know his record. There is some stuff missing from Quentin's house. He had the means and opportunity. If you can find a better suspect, I'll be extremely surprised."

"He's gone out. He can't see you."

"Come on, Delia, you are smarter than that.:" He paused "he's in your bedroom now, isn't he?"

He knocked at the bedroom door.

"All right, Pearce. out with you."

"I...I am not..."

"Wrap a towel around yourself and come out." George sighed.

Derek came out, dressed in only a towel."

"What do you want from me?" he whined.

George wondered how long it had taken him to perfect that persecuted whine. "I come for the stuff you stole from Quentin's"

"I didn't! Honest!"

"You don't know what that word means." Something caught his eye. Something at Derek's wrist.

A handcuff!

'Hey!" he seized Derek's hand 'that's county property!"

Delia protested, but he ignored her.

"I suppose that the other three are in the bedroom" he pushed the door open.

"You have no search warrant!" Delia shouted.

"Should have asked for one at the front door. Well I'll be... There was a four-poster bed in the middle of the room, and handcuffs were fixed to three of the posts.

"What we do in bed is just our business."

"What you do with county property is _my_ business." he corrected her. "I don't care what two consenting adults do in bed, but I care about the non-consenting county property involved. Give them back now."

* * *

Quentin led Sister Kira into the hospital.

"Do you think that they'll allow her visitors?" Kira asked.

"We can try."

"Even if we don't see her," Kira brought her hands together, bending her head. "we can pray. And there are others that we can reach."

Louella was off limits, and they couldn't linger next to her room without risking a scene with Willie who sat like the Angel of Death in the waiting room.

They went down again, Kira resisting the overenthusiastic Quentin's suggestion that they went in to see each patient. Kira had been thrown out of too many hospitals already.

She knew better than that. She only needed to show herself. Someone would recognize her and then ask for her help.

That was what happened. They did not have to wait long until they heard the woman's voice "Sister Kira! Is that you, Sister Kira?"

With no trace of smugness in her face, Kira went to the woman. "Can I be of service?"

"I am sick... the doctors can't find what is wrong with me" she lifted imploring eyes to Kira. "Please Sister, help me."

"You must have faith."

"I do have faith. I know that you can cure me."

"I don't cure. The Holy Spirit does it. Do you trust the Holy Spirit?"

"Yes! Yes! I do!"

"I'll pray for you" She took the woman's hand in hers.

Dr. Anderson came in "What kind of mumbo jumbo is this?"

"I am praying for this woman" said Kira.

"And who gave you permission to be here in the first place?"

"She asked us."

"She did?" he looked at the woman who was nodding vigorously. "Myrtle, you know better than that." he admonished her.

"You are not a believer" Kira said, with sadness "won't you at least let me show you?"

_"_Sister Kira" he looked at her, as if trying to place her. "Of course, I heard of you. Met one of the people you 'cured': Sylvia Norris."

"And having seen her, you still doubt?"

"She had cancer and you made her stop her radiation treatments, because they were not necessary after you laid your hands on her. Well, you might be interested to know that she died of the cancer you cured her of.

"Doctor Anderson, don't you lose patients too?"

"If I ever see you again near one of my patients, I will kick you all the way to the exit."

* * *

Tammy Innes was incredulous.

"What is it with this new job?"

"It isn't a sure thing yet, but Mrs. Todd is interested."

"Still deciding whether she needs a token black?"

"It isn't that. She's mad at me for making her lose an operative, and she's not in a mood to listen to my suggestions. But she'll come around to it."

"What did you tell her about me?"

"That you were good at your job, and that you work in the same area as the operative who just left."

"Yes." Tammy admitted "I am good. If I wasn't a black woman I would be now heading the division instead of unemployed."

"Well, come to see Mrs. Todd, then."

"Does she know that I am black?"

"Yes."

"Did she have any comments about it?"

"She was more worried about your objecting to..." George hesitated "her own peculiar habits."

"Peculiar habits?" she wondered for a moment, then added "You mean she's a dyke?"

_"_You know I don't like that word." George sighed." Same as you don't like 'nigger'."

* * *

Megan let Chris in.

"So what do you want now?" She wasn't in much of a good mood. Trying to put the agency together again without Sabrina wasn't easy, and hadn't it been for Chris, Sabrina would have never left.

"I wonder if you could use me." Chris asked.

"You can always get Sabrina back to me."

"I can't do that."

"Then we have nothing to talk about." she turned her back on him.

"Please! I need a job!

"You need a job? Since when? Weren't you going to go into business by yourself and make an honest living for a change?"

"The dogs...they damaged a lot of furniture and some of it wasn't paid for. All the money I have is tied with the chickens. As for the joint account, Sabrina froze it. Amy is now taking cleaning jobs... he added with distaste.

"You break my heart. Am I supposed to bail you out after the way you pulled the rug from under my feet?"

"I am not great shakes as an operative, I know. But you may still need a part-time police dog."

"What I need is Sabrina. A part-time police dog is low in my list of priorities."

"I...I am sorry."

'Yeah, you are sorry, which does not help me any." She shrugged "well, call me softhearted, but you can come back. Part-time only, and you take orders from me without arguing_."_

"You mean it?"

"Yes, you are hired."

* * *

"Time to go down" Phillip told David "Give me your hands."

"What?"

"We are going downstairs now."

"But I did nothing! I didn't make trouble! I ate all my food!"

"Tonight is the full moon. Don't argue and give me your hands."

"I don't want to go!: David was back against the wall, his eyes bulging.

"I don't have all day" Phillip grumbled "I will take you downstairs with or without your help."

David jumped, but Phillip was ready for it. He moved to the side, and as David fell he caught one arm and twisted it behind the back.

Then, before David could recover, he sat on him and chained the hands. Then, not caring how hard David kicked, he tightened the harnessaround the arms.

"Now we are going down."

* * *

"I gather you had a problem with Derek again." Barnabas said to George, as they were sitting in his office.

"Right again. God, he's so dumb! He stole from Quentin, can you imagine?"

"Well, after all, he saved Louella's life."

"That's why he's dumb. He could have stolen from you or from Willie, and you'd never said a thing. But Quentin, that's another story."

"In fact, he stole from me, too. I've been missing several things at my place since he was here...Never mind. Why is Quentin different?"

"Because he's a born-again Christian and those people don't know the meaning of the word 'gratitude'"

"You are exaggerating."

"I am not. Do you remember when Gerald Ford was almost shot by Sara Jane Moore? The guy who saved Ford, he's a hero, right? He's also homosexual, so in gratitude for saving the President's life he's now jobless and broke. Do you think that Quentin would be any different with Pearce?"

"No" Barnabas admitted reluctantly.

George laughed "Do you know the latest with Pearce?" He stole my handcuffs."

"Your handcuffs?"

"Yes. to do the bondage routine with Delia. I tell you, he's one of a kind."

"I agree" Barnabas looked into the distance. "One thing for sure, if you were told you were to meet a vampire, the last thing you'd imagine would be Derek."

"He's a Peter Principle vampire. He knows what his level of incompetence is, and stays away from it as best he can. Speaking of something else, what is the real story with the gulls?"

"I told you..."

"You told me the official version. I want the truth. Don't worry. This place isn't bugged" he took Barnabas hand and pushed up the sleeve. "You can start by telling me how you got those rope burns."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"So you ended up in front of a firing squad."

"For all intents and purposes it was. Look, what I told you about Carolyn..."

"Don't worry, I'll say nothing. I hate lynch mobs as much as you do. What about the other one? Old Munsungan? Do you think he'll give us trouble again?"

"Not for a while."

George looked at Barnabas. He pictured him on his knees, his hands tied behind his back, and then he saw him naked with only a towel around his waist, like Derek...

"No." he shook himself." must not think of it."

"What is it?" Barnabas asked.

"Nothing. Probably coming down with something. Was it bad?"

"What was bad?"

"The firing squad."

"I had this idea that somehow if I did it would make up for...for some of the things I did. But when they were taking me there I realized that all it meant was that I was leaving a mess behind for other people to worry about."

"Interesting. Sounds like something that Dave once said."

"Dave?" Barnabas tensed.

"Dave Woodard. He was my friend."

Barnabas turned his face away.

"I know that you killed him. Have known for a long time. It isn't difficult to get information out of Willie if you know how to listen and what questions to ask."

"But...if you knew..."

"Why didn't I do something about it? Like turning you over to a lynch mob?"

"Maybe you should have."

"How long were you in that coffin? Years? Years of complete sensory deprivation. Do you know that's what the KGB does to people they want to break? A few days is enough to run some of them into vegetables. So you got released and you were mad. It wouldn't have been realistic to expect otherwise. That business with Maggie... you had to be off your rocker to try that stunt. Now, if you were brought to trial, do you know what your lawyer would say? First, make it clear that you no longer could tell reality from your own imagination. You had dreams of escaping many times, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And when Willie set you free, you weren't sure that it wasn't another dream."

Barnabas nodded.

"And if you were discovered what might they do to you? They might kill you if you were lucky. But they might lock you up again."

Barnabas nodded again.

"So" George got up and struck an oratorical pose " Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have heard how my client was tortured beyond endurance. How he was set free, his reason gone. How torture threatened him again. Dave Woodard was my friend, and I know that he would be the last person to want to torture this poor creature further. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, to find my client guilty you have to assume that yourselves, when submitted to the same torture would react differently. If you cannot assume that, you have to find him innocent by reason of insanity."

"Impressive" Barnabas tried to hide his emotion.

"Actually I don't think that it would go to trial. After a description of what was it like being locked in the coffin, the D.A. might be unwilling to prosecute. ...But that would only be if they did not know that you were a vampire. Because if they did, it would just be a lynch mob.. "He looked ahead, not seeing Barnabas. "Dave hated lynch mobs, too."

"I wish...I wish.."

"That you could make it up to him?"

"Yes. All the ones I hurt, somehow I paid them back..."

"Like giving Maggie a political career. And it hurts to know that there is nothing you can give Dave."

"There should be something.

"There isn't" he squeezed Barnabas' arm. "All you can do is to try to be the kind of person he'd want for a friend."

* * *

David stirred in the cage as Phillip came near it.

"Can I go up again?"

"Not a chance."

"It is daytime now." he pleaded.

"I don't want through last night's trouble again."

"You can't keep me here."

"Can't I?"

"Please let me go."

Phillip filled up a food bowl and pushed it towards the chained David.

"You expect me to eat like this?"

"All of it, or I'll throw cold water on you."

"At least, free my hands."

"Not a chance. Eat this way."

"I won't"

Phillip shrugged, then picked up a pail of water and swung it in David's direction.

"Wait!"

"Are you going to eat?"

David went to his knees, looking at Phillip with hatred. He bent down over the bowl and began eating the food.

"Don't wolf it down, kid." Phillip jeered "Wolf it down, en? Funny, isn't it?"

* * *

Julia finished checking on her notes. All those days of research had paid off. She knew more about Charity Trask that...probably Charity herself.

Charity had never married. She had lived to be a very old woman, still active until the last months of her life. True to her name, she was very active in charity work.

What was interesting was the type of charity work she engaged in: the rehabilitation of prostitutes and other 'fallen women' - and the way she went about it.

There had been several letters of hers, and when she had read them she was surprised at the sympathetic understanding of her charges and their circumstances, not what one could expect in a pious spinster.

There wasn't much about her possession by Pansy Faye, except a few references to a 'strange' time. Evidently that possession had ended after Petofi died, or was removed. Whether that was caused by Petofi's disappearance of by the fact that her father was not around to bully her, was not clear. Julia was willing to be that the Reverend Trask's disappearance had more to do with it.

So, Charity Trask had know Beth Chavez. Beth had been a 'fallen woman". Could they ask Charity's help for this 'fallen woman"? Could Charity help them rescue Louella from Jenny?

She heard a cough over her head. She looked up and saw Chris Jennings.

"Hello Chris."

"Did you ask, Amy to read the cards for you?"

"Yes. We needed it."

"You just can't help meddling, eh, old bag? You know that she has to study for her tests. Instead you get her started on the cards again."

"Chris! I know that you are upset, but you will not talk to me that way."

"I am sorry doctor." Chris sat down "but I don't like to have Amy read the cards."

"Why? You don't believe in them?"

"I believe." he shook his head. "What I don't believe is that she should try to earn a living that way. I want her to be able to get a good job, not have to depend on a gift handed down by a gypsy great-grandmother. If she had a degree and could work at something else I wouldn't mind. But I don't want her to do as I did."

"What did you do?"

"Think that because I could go on all fours and follow a scent that I had it made." he shrugged "Megan warned me, but I wouldn't listen. Since I had that, why bother with the nuts and bolts of the business? So it happened that after working in a detective agency I didn't know better than to sink money in an earthworm scam.

"I understand." Julia said sympathetically "we went to your sister because we were desperate. And we didn't pay her for it."

"That's better." he sighed "I am sorry if I snapped at you. I had a bad time lately."

"I heard that Sabrina left you."

"Left me? George and Barnabas ran her out of town on a rail. Well, I imagine that she likes working for Maggie. She's ambitious, and the job opens a lot of possibilities for her."

"And you, are you ambitious?"

"I'd like to find myself."

"Find yourself?" Julia said with dismay "you are into that, now?"

"It isn't what you think. It has to do with...with my curse. I grew up with it. It flared when most people get acne. I don't know how to explain it. At a certain age children stop being children. There are a lot of conflicts with parents, and that's part of growing up. But a conflict could bring a flare-up with my curse. So I avoided conflicts, and they were never solved. And I never grew up. I wonder if I ever became an adult." he stopped and moistened his lips "I envy Barnabas. At least he was an adult and knew who he was when it happened to him."

"I understand."

"It killed Tom, this thing. I didn't want to talk about it before. It hurt too much. I watched him go to pieces. I don't know how to describe it. He seemed to enjoy his curse at the end... The way he talked, it was as if he wanted to go out there and kill. The chains he used, they were rusted and would be no trouble to get out of. One day he came back, all covered with blood. He tried to sound regretful, but he...he looked smug. He persecuted Amy... I found dogs with their throat torn out. One or two much have wandered in... But then he told me of catching them and releasing them where he could tear them up."

"Dogs?"

"He swore that he didn't hurt people. I believed him. I wanted to. But now... No, that isn't true. When he disappeared I found in one of his drawers a bottle of chloroform. That and some rope and adhesive tape. And a piece of cloth that seemed torn from a blouse. Light green cloth. Later, in the newspaper there was this news about this dead girl found in the woods. Half eaten, by coyotes or a bear. She was wearing a light green blouse and there were signs of her having been tied up... Oh, God. why did he do it?"

"I am sorry, Chris."

"It isn't your fault. I loved Tom. And he...he.."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Do you know what you are going to do?" Carolyn asked Nicholas.

"I have no idea." What was she up to, now?

"We are going to be 'born again'".

"You are kidding."

"I am not. I need Quentin and his people, and this is how I am going to get him."

"But I cannot do that."

"Why not?"

"I'd lose my powers if I did."

"So?"

"It was because of my powers that you hired me." he tried to sound reasonable.

"Powers...don't make me laugh. All I wanted was a flunky, and you are good at it. Powers...do you really think that your mumbo-jumbo is power? I'll show you power."

She took out a wad of money and flaunted it to Nicholas. "This is power. This is what makes the world go round. With this I can make people dance. I can make them crawl in the dirt and ask for more."

Nicholas looked at the wad. How much was in it?"

"See? You are dancing already" Carolyn laughed "This is what you want. What you always wanted. there is only one way you'll get it. You come with me to see Quentin."

"But I serve my Master..." he attempted a protest.

"Master! I give you the orders. You are a loser, Nicholas Blair, and the Master can't help you there. You just can't keep from screwing up. Like the Adam and Eve caper you masterminded."

"If my luck had held it would have been different."

"Luck or no luck the whole thing was flaky. Theologically unsound. Create people without God's intervention. How? Recycling spare parts, previously created by God? Using mud, also created by God? Call in the spirit of a woman who was also created by God? You couldn't create, only recycle. And were too dumb to even know it."

"So?" Nicholas wished he wasn't staring at the money so hard.

"So you got two choices. You come with me to see Quentin, or you get enough for a bus ticket."

* * *

"David's downstairs" Phillip told Julia.

"But it is daytime. He shouldn't be dangerous now.

"I have a feeling that I'd better keep him there."

Julia looked at Phillip, wondering.

"Look, doctor, you know that if he gets loose I'll be the one torn up."

"You are right" Julia sighed "Are you ready for the séance tonight?"

"I don't know. I never liked this kind of thing. Wouldn't Willie be better?"

"Willie was in the other one. He might attract Jenny again. No, It is going to be you, me, Barnabas and Iris." she started going down to the cellar. She reached the bottom steps and turned.

"What is it?"

"You've seen Iris. What's she like?

* * *

"So how are you doing, Sister? Quentin asked Kira.

"Somewhat slow. For some reason I feel as if they were holding back. They want to come, but don't dare..."

"I have the same problem. There are so many people I want to reach here, but somehow they escape me." he crossed himself. "I hoped that when you came it would be different. That when they saw the power of the Holy Spirit through you, they'd come. Instead, we are barred from the hospital."

"Dr. Anderson. He's an unbeliever. We should pray for him."

"Yes. " There was a curious gleam in her eye as she spoke of Dr. Anderson, but Quentin missed it. "Sister I don't want you to be alarmed, but you should be aware that there are Occult influences here."

* * *

"It is not natural for gulls to behave that way, let me tell you." Big Bill said sententiously to Kenneth.

"There is probably a very natural explanation for it. Probably shortwave radio. It has been known to affect animals."

"It is a curse, let me tell you. An Indian curse." Big Bill laughed inwardly as Kenneth bristled at his words. He looked funny, the way he puffed up and turned red each time you said the world 'curse' around him. Better than the movies."

"But you don't know that this whole supernatural business is bunk? It is obscurantism! It is medieval! It is irrational!"

"An Indian curse, all right!" Bill puffed his pipe and nodded to the other fishermen, who smiled with him..

* * *

Barnabas introduced Iris to Julia.

"Julia Hoffman, Iris White."

"Nice to meet you." Julia studied Iris. At least she wasn't a nubile girl as they used to be in the past. Barnabas had acquired a taste for mature women, even if it was too late to do her any good.

"I am delighted do meet you. Barnabas has told me so much about you." Iris wasn't too comfortable with Julia. Julia could be as ruthless as Angelique in getting rid of rivals. Witness what had happened to Roxanne Drew.

"What are we supposed to do? Phillip asked quickly, to ease the tension.

"Sit around the table, hold hands, and let Julia take on from there."

They did so and Julia began to speak in a soft dreamy voice.

"Charity Trask. We want to talk to you. We need you."

"Charity" Barnabas muttered "Please come, Charity."

The air hung heavily on them. Was there somebody in the room with them, or was it their imagination?

Barnabas blinked. It felt thick around him. As if he was swimming in pea soup. And there was something up front. Something...someone...

"Charity?" he asked.

Iris gulped, holding to Barnabas' and Phillip's hands."

"Barnabas" Charity's voice came to them.

"Charity?"

"So I didn't kill you after all." the voice said, calmly.

"No, you didn't" he strained his eyes.

"I was angry with you then. I had asked you to take me away and you didn't"

"I couldn't do that to you. You would not have liked it if I had done it."

"How much do you think I liked living with my father?" the voice said vehemently "You were the first breath of fresh air that came my way."

"It was poisoned air that I offered you."

"It was better than what I had."

"I am sorry." he couldn't think of anything else.

Charity moved and he could see her now. He was shocked. he had left her a girl of eighteen, and now she was an old woman, bent and wrinkled..

"I have forgiven you for it. And my life wasn't so bad once Father disappeared. Julia can let you know."

"Did Pansy's spirit left you?"

"When Father was gone I didn't need her anymore. I was grateful to her. She gave me the courage to defy my father. That's why I chose for my life's work to help women like her."

"There is another woman who needs your help." Julia said.

"Who is it?"

"Louella Loomis, but you knew her as Beth Chavez."

"Beth...I remember her. She made a bad mistake in loving Quentin."

"She made it again." Barnabas said "and now Jenny wants to destroy her."

"It is sad. But I can help her."

"Do you want to?"

"I do want to. I have helped many women with many problems. I didn't always succeed, but I always tried. I shall try again."

* * *

The ground was covered with snow. The ice made it difficult to walk. Yet she dared not stop.

"Walk, bitch! Keep walking! Walk!:" Jenny screamed.

"I can't...please, let me rest."

"Rest?" Jenny laughed "you'll rest after you have jumped off Widow's Hill."

"I am tired. I can't walk."

"Keep walking!"

Beth stumbled. she tried to remain on the ground catching her breath, but a sharp tug forced her upward.

There was now a chain around her neck. a chain whose other end was lost in the fog.

"I told you to walk!"

"No...no...Please..." the chain pulled her forward in spite of her aching feet."

"Beth! Come back, Beth!" someone behind her called.

"Are you going to walk or not?" Jenny asked harshly.

"No Beth, don't go." Two hands now rested on her shoulders. "Stay here."

"I can't" the chain pulled at her neck, cutting off her breath.

"Yes, you can. Stay here with me."

The chain pulled her forward, yet the hands anchored her to the spot. The chain incrusted itself on her flesh with a sharp pain.

'It won't hurt you. You just have to be strong."

The chain sliced through the flesh of her neck. She made another effort to follow it.

"Be strong, Beth. You have to be strong if you are ever to be free."

The chain was cutting deep into the neck. It had gone halfway now, and kept advancing.

"Bear the pain, Beth."

The last shards of flesh were cut. The chain sliced through the skin, then fell at Beth's feet.

"You are free now, Beth."

"My head is cut off."

"It will heal It is healing now." the hands turned her around.

"She will never be free!" Jenny shouted from behind the fog.

"She will. Let her go, Jenny. For your own sake, let her go."

Beth looked at the face that belonged to those comforting hands.

"Charity!"

"Yes, it is me. You have to go back, Beth."

"I...I can't"

"I know. You are tired and in pain. But they need you back there. They want you to go back to them. Come Beth, I will help you."

..

..

In the hospital, the nurse saw Louella stirring, slowly returning to consciousness...

* * *

Iris kissed Barnabas deeply. "I am glad that it went well"

'"Yes" Barnabas returned her kiss "Dr. Anderson called Julia to confirm. Louella is coming out of the coma."

"Don't you think we should celebrate?

"What do you have in mind?"

"This" she began unbuttoning his shirt. "I have been doing a long time without, and you too."

"The people at the Hospital would not let me in."

"Well, let's make up for the lost time."

Later, in the bedroom, Barnabas cradled her head tenderly. He kept seeing Charity old and wizened. She had been younger than Iris and...

One day Iris would grow old, as old as Charity. What would he do then? What would she do? Would she hate him for not growing old as she did? Would she regret not having joined him in his life? Would he?

"What is it? she asked sleepily.

"It is nothing. I was thinking about the mirror."

What about it?"

"I am curious about my clothes. When I am in them, they do not reflect, but when I take them off, they do. Why should it be that way?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Tammy Innes was losing her temper. Why did this Todd woman keep her waiting this long? It was already dusk and she hadn't showed up yet. Was it he way of rubbing her nose in the fact that she was being hired as a token black and nothing else?

The blonde woman kept trying to make conversation with her, but she could sense that she was uncomfortable in her presence. The blond man didn't even try to pretend.

"Are you sure you don't want any coffee?" Angelique offered the surly young woman again.

"No."

Angelique sighed. How much did the woman know about the job she was offered? Not much, or she wouldn't be waiting for Megan this long, surprised that she did not show up yet.

Dusk finally settled in, and Megan appeared shortly after.

"Ms. Innes?" She extended her hand in greeting "how long have you been waiting?"

"All day." Tammy grumbled.

"No one told you that I don't show up until after dusk, I see."

"I wonder if you really mean to hire me."

"Come to my office, and we'll talk."

Tammy followed Megan, looking at her with distrust.

"You have a good background" Megan said "and George Brant recommended you.." She looked at Tammy straight in the eye "How much did he tell you?"

"That you needed someone like me."

"Anything else?"

"That you'll overlook my being black if I overlook your own peculiarities."

"I didn't put it that way. Did he explain to you what my peculiarities were?"

"Are you homosexual, like him?"

"I am going to kill that bastard" Megan said between her teeth "He hasn't told you a thing. He promised me that he would, but he didn't"

"Tell me what?"

"He didn't even bother to tell you that there is no point in looking for me before sunset. So you had to steam here instead of going home and coming back at a more reasonable time." She stopped and looked straight at Tammy "You think that you are going to be the token black here?"

"So you admit it?

"I admit nothing of the sort. You are too hostile to b e interested in the job, you know that?"

"That's as good an excuse as any for not hiring me." Tammy rose.

"Sit down" Megan ordered her. "I don't care how hostile you are. I don't care if you hate my guts before you know anything about me. But I worry that you might be too busy nursing your grievances that you'll have no time to get the work done. If you were trying to worm information out of me that way, you'd get nowhere."

"That's different. When I am on the job..."

"When you are on the job, you do the job. Very commendable. Well, it may surprise you, but getting a job _is _a full time job. A con job. You have to make the guy in charge believe that a) you can do it better than anyone else and b) your life has no meaning unless you work for him. If you talk about things not related to the job, he won't be so ready to believe it."

"So what does sit lead to?"

"You have a good reference in George, and I need someone like you."

"Are you hiring me?"

"If you don't mind our...peculiarities" Megan sighed "I'll have to fill you in, since George dropped that package on my lap. Tell Chris and Angelique to come in."

Tammy cocked her head with curiosity as the two of them came in.

"In a way, you are a token." Megan smiled. "Just not the kind of token you think. Angelique, give a demonstration."

"A demonstration?"

"Make the desk fly"

Angelique did so, to Tammy's astonishment.

"It is a trick." she said.

"No trick. She is a witch. You Chris, go on all fours."

Tammy screamed as Chris turned into a gray wolf.

"You see, Chris is a werewolf." Megan caught Tammy's wrist as she tried to escape. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He doesn't hurt people. But you'll agree it is great for shadowing jobs."

"It can't be" Tammy shook her head. "Things like these don't exist." It was a stupid remark, but Tammy couldn't think of any smart ones.

"As for me" Megan said "you got a mirror?"

Tammy handed her the one in her bag.

"As you see, I don't reflect. I am a vampire. If you don't mind working with us, you'll be our token normal."

* * *

Willie looked at Louella. She had finally regained consciousness, and after much arguing, he had convinced Dr. Anderson that she could receive visitors.

"You are going to be all right, baby" he said to her.

She looked at him strangely. Did she recognize him? Would she become too agitated when she saw him as Dr. Anderson has feared she might?

"All right, you can see her. "he had said "but if you get her upset, it is going to be the last time you'll set foot in the hospital."

"I just want to see her."

"I know that she left you. I don't know why, but I know that seeing your might well be the last thing she needs."

But Louella didn't react violently. She even smiled at him.

"Lou, baby" he said again. "you get well, you hear?"

"Louella?" Quentin's voice came behind him.

"You?" Willie turned "what are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing?" Quentin stabbed him with his finger. "You know that she doesn't want you."

Willie wanted to retort, but a quick look at Louella convinced him that she'd only be upset if he did.

"All right, I am leaving." he said.

Out in the corridor, behind Quentin's back, he made an obscene gesture towards him.

"Are you feeling better?" Quentin bent towards her. "I brought Sister Kira to see you. You know Sister Kira?"

"Quentin has told me about you. You are in my prayers.

Kira extended her hand towards Louella.

Louella tensed, recoiling from that hand.

'Let me pray with you."

That voice...that woman...that hand...

That hand that stretched towards her...

She strained to escape the hand, tried to drag herself away, felt the pull of her stitches...

She screamed.

* * *

Carolyn wrote a check. She hoped that it would be the last one she had to write before Dr. Rossi declared Roger to be cured.

Dr. Rossi, I hope you are not giving me the runaround. Because, if you are, I'll make you sorry you were ever born.

If she got Roger back, it was money well spent. If not... If not, she would hurt Dr. Rossi bad...

If everything went according to plan, Roger would be back soon.

* * *

Derek shook the dice. Not bad, the gambling here. Not much money around, nothing like Vegas. But you could make a nice living if you strained at it.

And there was little competition, too.

He dropped the dice. He saw that he had lost that round. He accepted it. After all, if you didn't lose now and then, no one would want to play against him, and that would be very bad for business..

The games never should be obviously crooked.

* * *

Barnabas stopped to talk with David.

"Are you feeling better? I know that being chained downstairs isn't pleasant." he spoke quickly trying not to think how much it hurt him to have David chained that way. "Julia thinks what with treatment you won't need the cage anymore."

"Phillip won't like that. If he can't put me in the cage when he wants it, it won't be fun anymore." David sounded more cocky than he really felt.

"You got to understand, David. He is scared. You chased him once and he doesn't forget it." He sat on the bed and put his hand on David's arm. "Do you know what happened to you?"

"I am a werewolf, right? Same as Chris?"

'Yes. Only that he can control himself and you can't . And then, there's drugs involved."

Unable to resist the impulse, he pulled up David's sleeve and looked at the collection of scars on David's arm.

"Why?" he asked.

"Imagine, you of all people, getting upset because I can find the way to a vein. After all, these are my own, which is more than you can say for yourself."

"And the people who bought from you? You got into their veins too?"

"Not all of them mainlined."

"Why did you do it? You had so much going for you...

"We are a cursed family. Don't you know that?"

"It isn't good enough. There must be an answer."

"There isn't!"

"Try to think."

"And if I don't, Phillip will chain me downstairs and throw buckets of cold water at me?

"Of course not!"

"Of courses not? Do you think he doesn't do it now?" he saw Barnabas' shocked expression and added "At the time of the full moon, do you think he took me upstairs as soon as the moon set? He kept me down there. He threw the food at me and I had to eat it like a dog because my hands were chained behind me. Didn't you know that?"

* * *

George waited for the phone to ring. Soon Tammy would do so, screaming at him for having sent her over to Megan. And Megan too, for not having prepared Tammy better.

Well, what did they expect? That he would tell Tammy over the phone that she was to work with a vampire? Tammy would have just asked him what was he smoking and hung up..

It stood to reason that it could not be done. But neither Megan nor Tammy cared much for reason now...

Dr. Anderson came in.

"I want a court injunction against Quentin Collins and the woman called Sister Kira."

"Why?"

"So that they cannot enter the hospital again. I am serious. I have this patient, Louella Loomis, who's not fully recovered from surgery yet. Well, those two visited her, and she pulled two stitches because of them."

George whistled. He always knew that one day Quentin would overreach himself.

"Consider it done. Can I ask you something, by the way?"

"What is it?"

"You keep having discussions about the gulls."

"I just want to point out to those people that because something is unusual it doesn't mean that there is something supernatural about it."

"I wish you wouldn't"

"Why? You approve of this talk about curses?"

"I don't. But if you stopped arguing about it, they would forget. As it is, no one hears anything but curses, Indian curses, to be specific.

"That's why we have to prove that there was nothing of the sort involved. Can you help me?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Barnabas' expression when she saw him was grim.

"What happened?" Julia asked.

"I just had a talk with David. And another with Phillip."

"And what did you find out?"

"That Phillip was brutalizing David. Things like locking him in a cage all day, or throwing cold water on him. If David said anything that Phillip didn't like, down he went."

"Well, David isn't that easy to manage. At first he was stubborn and wouldn't do anything we asked him to. And Phillip's the one who got stuck with the unpleasant jobs.

"Julia! You knew of it and approved?

"I believe that it would do David good. He needs to be scared, real scared."

"I don't want that."

"You don't approve of my methods, I see. Nobody does until I get results."

"But why?"

"Why? Suppose I cured David today. What would he do then?"

"Well, he might go..."

"To peddle drugs again? Or are we going to get a job for him? Can you guarantee that he'll keep it? He is going to be a lousy job risk, unless he learn some responsibility."

"And this is the way to teach it to him?"

"Yes. You were the one who taught him irresponsibility, by the way."

"Me?"

"You always bailed him out, didn't you? Ever since he went poking in places where he shouldn't and calling on ghosts."

"You know how it was, then."

"Well, somewhere along the line David got the idea that no matter what he did, no matter how much trouble he got into, you'd get him out of it. Well, the free ride is over, for him."

"But this way?"

"I'll use anything that works. And, as little as you like it, he's still not scared enough for my taste. He is going to need a lot of therapy, that kid, but no therapy will help him if he does not cooperate."

"So you are just breaking him."

"If you want to put it that way." Julia shrugged "I can't think of anything better."

Barnabas moved away to the window, gathering his thoughts.

"I don't like it," he muttered "I still don't like it"

Julia bit back her stinging remark. Barnabas was hurting, and he needed comfort, not argument...

"Am I supposed to look the other way? he said

"Doctor's orders. It is going to be hard, but it is worth it."

"What about Phillip? How long until he becomes a full-fledged sadist?"

"Barnabas!"

"Phillip is my responsibility too. I didn't hire him so that he could learn to enjoy torturing another human being."

"I will talk to him."

"Better do. I imagine that you have the same problem at Wyncliffe. Whatever way you have there to handle the problem, use it with him. I don't want Phillip to be another victim of side effects of your treatments. His wife was bad enough."

"His wife?"

"Megan. You were trying to cure me by pumping opiates in my system, and something went wrong."

"You know that!" Julia moved away, white.

"It is very difficult to keep secrets from Megan. She found out and told me."

"You know that I had a reason to. If it had worked..."

"I know. If it had worked, it wouldn't have mattered. Look, if you told me what you were doing I would say to go ahead."

Julia sighed, relieved.

"But why didn't you tell me? he asked. "I would have understood. And if I knew what was happening, Megan would have been spared."

He turned to Julia violently "Why can't you tell me anything? Why do you keep me in the dark like this? Don't you trust me enough to make an intelligent decision?"

'You were my patient."

"I am not your patient now, yet you still engineered this business with David without consulting me. Why?"

"I thought..."

"You thought you were the only one who knew what was right. Well, Julia, don't you think that other people have heads in good working order?

Julia said nothing.

"It think that it is an occupational disease with you. Your patients are mentally incompetent, thus you, as a doctor, are in the position to play God with them. And you do. You care for your patients, and do your best for them. But I don't think that you respect them. That's why you didn't respect me enough to tell me how you were drugging me. And why you didn't respect enough to tell me what were your plans for David."

"You wouldn't have understood..." it was a lame excuse, but that was all she could think.

"You were damned lucky with Megan. If she had come down with something that she could have gone to court with, instead of vampirism, she'd have sued you for everything you got.."

* * *

"Beth! Come to me, Beth!" Jenny's voice followed her.

"She will get me." sobbed Beth.

"Not unless you let her" Charity held her firmly "the only power she has is the one you give her."

"But how? how can I escape her?"

"Do you know where you are?"

"No."

"Do you know how you got here?"

"No."

"Yes. you do. Think and you will remember. Then go back, Beth."

* * *

"You've met Megan, I see." George said to a furious Tammy.

"You...you bastard. You sent me to...to that thing..."

"Sit down and I'll explain."

"You can stand very well if I stand up."

"All right." George sighed "I should have warned you before hand. But if I had told you, would you have believed me?"

"He turned into a dog in front of me." her eyes became dreamy.

"Not dog, wolf. He's had police dog training. And he's housebroken, or Megan wouldn't let him inside."

"Why did you ask me to come?"

"You needed a job and Megan needed a replacement."

"What happened to the operative that I am replacing?"

"She's in D.C., working for Representative Evans. It doesn't look it, but this job could be a real stepping stone for you. Megan has good relations with Ms. Evans and has contacts with the FBI."

"I didn't believe that...that people like her existed."

"Neither did I before I got this job. But I adjusted to it, and she's my friend."

"What happens when...when she gets hungry?"

"She goes to someone or other. I am on her list." George opened his collar so that Tammy could see his scars. "She comes to me about once a month. And, as you see, I am not any worse for it."

"Will she do the same to me?"

"She prefers men."

"You must be a disappointment to her, then." Tammy smiled nastily.

"In a way. We got two more in town. Two males."

"They would come for me?"

"One of the might. The other, Derek Pearce just uses dried stuff that he mixes with booze."

"You mean only one of them is dangerous."

"Depends on how you define dangerous. Derek has been a trial since I've known him. He will give me an ulcer yet. He's a hustler with more schemes than sense. You know the type."

"And the other one?"

"His name is Barnabas Collins. He's also a good friend of mine."

Something in George's expression made Tammy ask the next question "your lover?"

"No!" George went white "He doesn't...doesn't even know how it is with me. He's rather strait-laced about these things."

"Funny to think of something like_ that_ as being straitlaced."

"Tammy, promise me one thing. Never say to anyone, and specially to _him_ how it is with me."

"You mean you managed to keep it secret in a small town?"

"It is not that difficult. People think that I am talking to informants of doing something about my job, so I have no difficulty meeting men. And my bed partners have as much reason to keep quiet as I do."

"This Barnabas, you are in love with him."

"I'd rather not discuss it."

"And if I take the job, I will have to expect him at my neck."

"He's not precisely starving, now. If you ask him to keep away, he will do so."

* * *

Iris opened her store. It was rather slow today. After all, the paychecks hadn't yet been cashed. Tomorrow would be another story.

But in the meantime, there were still clients.

As she pushed the reluctant door open, pain shot through her arm. It still hurt after all those days...Well, she had to take things slowly for a time.

There was a chiming at the door, announcing the entrance of Angelique.

"Anything you want , or is this a social call?"

"I'm just looking."

"The store is all yours."

Angelique saw Iris' quick gesture to her throat. She still remembered her attempted choking, then.

"How are you and Barnabas doing?"

"Quite well, thank you." Iris said tensely. One never knew with Angelique "What about you and Frank?"

"Stalled" Angelique said lightly "I am here, he's in DC, so it isn't much of a relationship."

"Maybe you should move to Washington." Iris said too eagerly.

Angelique's eyes narrowed, but only said. "I promised Megan I'd stay."

"Then maybe Frank could be transferred here. Maybe Maggie could help you in that."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kenneth Anderson found Barnabas in his office.

"Do you have an appointment?" he asked.

"No, and I am not seeing you for a medical problem, either."

"I see." he sat down "you got in a big fight with Julia, and you want me to mediate."

"No. It is your doings that I want to talk about."

"Me?"

"You've been arguing all over town about how there was nothing supernatural about the gull attack."

"And you don't agree?"

"What I think about it has nothing to do with it. The problem is that people don't have a chance to put what happened behind them."

"And what's wrong with that? Suppose we got to the bottom of this. Suppose we found proof that there was a purely natural cause for it."

"Then you'd get an article publishes in 'The Humanist' magazine?"

"I am a regular contributor, yes."

"Well, I'll give you another suppose. Suppose people don't stop talking about it. Suppose that you are slow in coming up with proof while people are getting steamed up. Suppose they keep muttering 'Indian curse' day and night. Suppose they are on a murderous mood by the time Xavier Davenport comes back."

"Xavier Davenport?'

"He wants to put a small hydroelectric center here. And he needs the Indian's cooperation for it. I am negotiating it for him. And you harping on the gull attack is reviving all the bad feelings we have."

"But if we can prove that there was no curse..."

"When was it the last time you calmed down a lynch mob?"

"I never had to...why a lynch mob?"

"Well, if you don't know anything about it, if you don't even know how you might be inciting one, I'd say that you are not qualified to carry on this investigation."

"You want to shut me up?" Kenneth looked at Barnabas defiantly "and what would happen if I refuse to be censured?"

For a moment Barnabas felt like going for Kenneth's throat, but he controlled himself. "I'd hate to let Representative Evans deal with you. She is very much invested in this center, and she will not just watch you threaten something she cares about so much. She has ways of getting things done."

* * *

"Why doesn't Quentin come?" Louella asked the nurse.

"Dr. Anderson forbid him to set foot in the hospital. Last time he was here, you pulled two stitches. He was here with that fraud, Sister Kira."

"Sister Kira..."Louella remembered that hand coming down on her like a bird of prey. "Is she living with him, now?"

"She's at his place, yes."

Quentin had betrayed her again! Louella turned her face away. As she always knew he would.

Tears came into her eyes and she felt herself sink...

...Sink into the snowed wilderness where Jenny waited for her.

"I told you you'd be back." Jenny said.

Louella moved towards Jenny, her feet bleeding from the ice.

"Pick up your leash" the chain was now next to her foot. "Put it around your neck and let's go."

Reluctantly Louella...Beth? bent down. As her hand touched the chain, Charity seized her wrist.

"Go back, Louella."

"Quentin...he...he doesn't care for me anymore."

"There are others who do. Go back, Louella. Go back to them."

* * *

Sister Kira led the children in prayer. Quentin watched her with admiration. She always had the right word, the right gesture. There was a charm in her that he had never seen in any other woman...

Their prayers being said, the children resumed their play.

"At least you are getting through to the children."

"I wish I could reach more of the adults. Why did Dr. Anderson refuse to give us a chance? We could have opened his eyes to the truth."

"We could go to court against him."

Kira tensed up. Not a suit. She had her own plans for Dr. Anderson, and they didn't include squabbling in courts.

She thought with bitterness about Sylvia Norris. She could have cured her, but had preferred not to, since too high a rate of success would have attracted more attention than she wanted. She wanted to be A faith healer, not THE faith healer. And because of Sylvia Norris, Dr. Anderson was on her trail.

"No" she said 'no suit."

"But it is our right!"

"It would cause a lot of bitterness, even if we won. No, we have to show Dr. Anderson by our behavior what our intentions are... If only we had more converts..."

"We have one already. Carolyn Hawkes."

"Mrs. Hawkes?"

"Yes. I arranged for her to publicly convert at our next prayer meeting.

* * *

George Brant looked at Derek critically.

"Running a game, were you?" he picked up the dice "And I suppose these are loaded. Don't insult my intelligence by pretending they are not."

"I have to make a living." Derek shrugged.

There was a fresh scar on Derek's forehead. George stared at it with curiosity. Was Delia getting rougher?"

Derek saw him and touched his forehead "You wondering about this?

"Yes."

"I just wanted to do the John Belushi trick with the beer can from 'Animal House'"

George guffawed. Derek would want to try to do that...

"You still didn't return all the stuff you got from Quentin."

"Give me time, will you?"

"What else have I been giving you?"

"Some of the things are sold. I cannot track them down so easily."

"And I imagine the money you got from it, you bet on a horse that came in last.

Derek shrugged.

"What would you say if I offered you a job?"

"What kind of a job?"

"As an informer. Or rather a special investigator."

"Two hundred a day plus expenses.

"You ain't Jim Rockford. You get twenty. As for expenses, you'll have to itemize them and prove that they were actually necessary."

Derek made a face.

"Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it. Who am I supposed to watch?"

"Carolyn Hawkes."

* * *

Maggie turned to Sabrina. "Here I got a letter from Angelique. She's got into her head that I can get Frank transferred to Collinsport."

"What about Frank? Does he want to go?

"She doesn't say."

"So tell her that the request has to come from Frank himself. If he wants the transfer, he knows how to apply for it. If he doesn't want it, he won't be grateful."

"You are right." Maggie was relieved. She didn't like tackling Angelique. This way, she was giving something to think about rather than an outright denial.

"It is amazing those people. Not only I am supposed to be a legislator, but I also have to be Dear Abby."

There was something wrong about Maggie, Sabrina decided. Something that had nothing to do with Angelique.

She hated it when her clients kept things from her. She wondered if she should keep working under those conditions.

Of course, she wouldn't quit. She could make very good contacts in this job. The other day that FBI agent had hinted that she should join the Bureau.

No. Not the FBI. The prestige was great, but the ass-kissing would probably kill her.

She would stay with Maggie, but she would find out what she was hiding.

Maybe she could find today what it was. The way she was acting today, either she had received something in the mail, or got phone call. She determined to find out which.'

She went to Gladys, her assistant-trainee, while keeping an eye on Maggie.

"You got those things I wanted you to check on?" she asked the young girl.

"I was just finishing on them."

"Good. Let me see what you got ready."

The girl gave it to her with an expression of adoration. Since Sabrina had come to work for Maggie she had been given an important and glamorous job, and there was yet more to come.

"You seem to have done all right." Sabrina commented "What you need is to develop a solid information network. Or rather sources, if you want to be polite about it. People who owe you favors. People with grudges. People who want to leak information for their own benefit. You just have to keep knocking on doors, that's all."

"Oh, wow!" the girl wondered if she would be capable of doing all of it.

"Keep working on it."

At that moment, Maggie came back from her office, trying to hide something under her jacket.

She went to the water cooler, passing near the pile of mail. Sabrina wasn't sure, but it seemed as if Maggie had put another envelope in the pile.

She waited until Maggie had gone back to her office before she wondered how to get that envelope off the pile. She looked at her co-workers. Gladys was too busy to notice. But Bob Woods had been looking in that direction for a few moments... Better wait until it was out of his mind.

She couldn't be obvious at it.

She went back to her desk and began typing some letters that had to go out. By the time the office boy came for the pile of letters, she stooped him.

"Don't take it out yet." she said to him. "There is this letter that I have to finish. Come back in ten minutes and you can take them all."

The boy left the letters and went to do something else.

Her letter finished, Sabrina went to the pile of letters. As she added the ones she had, she ran her finger over the edge. There was a slight indentation, where Maggie had inserted her envelope. She gave it a little push. With her body shielding her, she quickly cut the deck at the indentation, and reassembled her with Maggie's letter at the bottom. She set the pile down. She took Maggie's letter and dropped it into her jacket's pocket.

When the office boy came back, she was at her desk, too busy in her folders to pay notice to him.

Later, at home, she steamed the envelope open. Inside was a check, signed by Maggie, made out to Sebastian Shaw.

* * *

The arthritic man moved forward.

"Do you have faith, brother?" Sister Kira asked him.

"I do! I do!"

Sister Kira laid her hands on the man's forehead "Be healed, brother, in the name of Jesus Christ."

The man got up.

"Praise the Lord! I can move again!"

"Praise the Lord!" the congregation echoed.

Carolyn watched the exhibition with disgust. She was next. Quentin had already told her what to say and how to say it

Quentin was about to get as much mileage out of her conversion as he could. So he was going to exhibit her as if she was just a side of beef. His big trophy.

"Brothers and sisters" Quentin said in a resonant voice "I was given great joy these last days. I was finally able to lead another soul to Christ. But let her tell you about it."

That was it, her cue, to come in and make her speech.

"Just you wait, Quentin Collins. Just you wait."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"How do you like being converted?" Carolyn asked Nicholas.

"I lost my powers."

"All of them?"

"What do you think?"

"I have a hunch you'll get them back."

"I never will" Nicholas said tragically.

"For all the good they ever did to you...I got another job for you."

"What is it?"

"I have a hunch that Quentin's been dipping into the jar of cookies. Bring me proof."

Nicholas gone, Carolyn prepared herself to receive Quentin. The sting of her public humiliation a couple of days ago had eased enough to allow her to speak to him without yelling.

Quentin came, satisfied with himself.

"How are you doing, cousin?"

"Not as well as I wished." Carolyn counterfeited shyness.

"You have to give it time. You are only a babe in Christ now."

"Yes." she sighed "I wish that I could help you." she forestalled his next remark "not only with my money. I mean.."

"It will come": his eyes became animated when she mentioned money. She saw it, and smiled inwardly.

"Have you tried to spread the good news among the Indians? I heard that many of them follow pagan shamans."

She watched him consider it. He had had few successes in town. Conversions among the Indians might recoup his credit.

Barnabas wasn't going to like what happened...

* * *

David looked hurt as Julia approached him.

"What are you doing to me today?"

"Nothing. Give me your arm."

"Of course." David whined "you'll have Phillip do it. "he looked at Barnabas "and you let him do it."

"You brought it on yourself" Julia said coldly "you could have gotten worse. Why did you get on drugs?"

"What has it got to do...?"

"When you figure the answer to that one let us know."

* * *

"You got a letter from Chris?" Maggie asked Sabrina.

"No. Barnabas." Sabrina sighed "Chris doesn't write to me."

"I am sorry. What does Barnabas say?"

"He tells me how Chris is doing."

"How is he?"

"Raising chickens and working part-time for Megan."

Maggie looked at Sabrina. "You miss him."

"I do. But if we get together we'd just fight. I tried writing to him, but I cannot help being hateful, so I have to throw my letters into the circular file."

Maggie looked at herm unwilling to ask more of it.

"I am sorry" She finally said.

"Oh, time will take care of it. At least that's what Barnabas tells me."

"Does he tell you anything else?"

"About David. Seem he's making progress." she shrugged "I do not wish him ill, I just don't want him around Amy." she laughed. "It seems it is one of the few things Chris and I agree on."

As Maggie moved away, Sabrina began thinking again of what Barnabas had written to her about Sebastian Shaw.

She had to agree with Megan on something. Barnabas could not add up. The account he had given her about Sebastian and Roxanne Drew was full of holes, and he wasn't even aware of it.

Twenty to one, the Roxanne Drew he had met in 1840 wasn't the same one who had attacked Maggie. The 1970 Roxanne had no idea that Barnabas was a vampire. There was no way that the 1840 Roxanne would ignore that, or fail to recognize him.

Furthermore, if Roxanne had been destroyed in 1840, she'd have never attacked Maggie. But she had. Sebastian had taken Maggie to Wyncliffe, but had never made it, abandoning Maggie in a motel. Willie said later that Roxanne had disappeared afterwards. Which might only mean that Sebastian had taken her away.

Where did this Roxanne Drew come from? Well, maybe Randall Drew had a daughter, called Roxanne, like her aunt.

What had happened between Maggie, Roxanne, and Sebastian? She tried to reconstruct the triangle. And how come Sebastian was now blackmailing Maggie.

What had happened to make him change so suddenly?

Roxanne must have cared a lot for Sebastian. Hadn't Barnabas first seen her carrying a bag of groceries? She couldn't use those, but Sebastian did. She was caring for him as much as he was taking care of her.

Then Maggie came and Sebastian was smitten. That first attack by Roxanne was jealousy. How come Barnabas hadn't seen it? Whatever she had done before she attacked Maggie had been low-key. No one knew that there was a vampire feeding there until then.

But the attack on Maggie backfired. Sebastian was, if anything, more drawn to her than before. So Roxanne attacked Maggie again, thus pushing Sebastian further into her arms.

Was Roxanne stupid not to see what he was doing? Anyway, Sebastian left Roxanne for Maggie. Then suddenly, turnabout.

Why couldn't Roxanne stop attacking Maggie? Why had Sebastian abandoned Maggie and gone back to Roxanne? Why was Sebastian blackmailing Maggie now?"

There was a knot at the pit of her stomach as she realized the answer to these questions.

Drugs.

* * *

"How many more of these scenes upstairs we have to go through again?" Barnabas pushed a cup of coffee towards Julia.

"As many as we need. I never told you this would be easy." she sipped her coffee. "Did you make this?"

"Yes. Today is Phillip's day off."

"Now I know why everybody warns me against it."

Barnabas smiled resignedly. Coffee making was something he never managed properly.

"Will you tell your husband thanks for stopping his talk about the gulls?"

"I'd rather not. He's rather sensitive about giving into censorship. He knows that you were right, but still doesn't like it."

"You still haven't told him about me."

"He wouldn't believe me if I did."

"As for David," he couldn't get the image of the sullen figure upstairs from his mind "when do you think he's going be rid of the werewolf curse.?"

"He's got more serious problems than lycanthropy, you know that."

"I know. But I suspect that they would be more under control if this was solved."

"All right. I am trying to separate the wolf from him. Basically I am convincing the wolf mind that David's body is a very unwelcoming place to be. Phillip helps there."

"The wolf mind?"

"You remember the theory of Parallel time?"

"Yes."

"Well, lycanthropy works like that." She put her hands parallel to each other. "David's here in this dimension. The wolf is here in this one. At a distance from each other. Now, when Magda put the curse, this happened" she brought the hands together. "The two now share the same physical space. What I have to do is separate them." she spread her fingertips out "And it will be easier if both David and the wolf want out."

"I hope you are right."

"There is another problem, now. It is Louella."

"What about her?"

"Where is she going once the hospital releases her? I don't think that either Willie's of Quentin's is a good place for her."

Barnabas shook his head. "If it was someone else, I'd say send her here. Or send her to Willie's and have Willie move in here. But as I am the main reason why she left Willie..."

"Maybe you could do something about that."

"Do what?"

"Tell her that you were never Willie's lover."

"Tell her how?"

"Go to the hospital and tell her."

"Are you crazy? She saw Quentin and pulled two stitches. She seems me and she'll pull ten."

"Not if you about it the right way."

"There is no right way to do it."

"There is. As to where Louella can go, I wondered if you know somebody who would have her. Preferably a mature woman with nurse training. She should have common sense and a friendly disposition."

Barnabas opened his black book and studied it. "That sounds like a description of Frances Jackson'" he smiled "I was going to see her tomorrow, anyway. I'll ask her then. Now, how do you think I should approach Louella?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Louella drifted, half-asleep, aware of Charity's comforting presence by her side.

"Can you hear me?" From somewhere the voice came, a man's voice.

"Who are you?" Fear came to her, only to disappear under Charity's gentle prodding."

"You know who I am."

"What do you want from me?" In spite of Charity, Louella began retreating.

"I won't come any closer." his voice w as soothing. "I only wanted to tell you one thing."

"What is it?" Louella felt herself relax.

"I never had sexual relations with your husband. I have never desired them. And if I had, he would have refused me."

"It...it isn't true."

"It is."

Charity's hands descended on Louella's face, comforting her.

"Why are you unwilling to believe it.?"

"Because Quentin.."

"In spite of everything you believe Quentin?"

* * *

"Do you find that bed comfortable?" Carolyn shot at Nicholas, sprawled on Roger's bed.

"I...I am sorry." Nicholas got up, flustered.

"Enjoy it a little longer. Soon I will take it away."

"What do you mean?"

"Uncle Roger is coming back."

Nicholas lifted an eyebrow. "Is he cured then?"

"I don't see what business it is of yours. All you need to know is that this room is off limits to you."

"Until the guys in the white coats take him away., again."

Carolyn slapped him.

"Don't be theatrical. You and I know the only reason he's getting out is because you bribed his doctor. He will get in trouble again."

* * *

Megan knocked nervously on Barnabas' door. Should she do this by herself?

Phillip smiled longingly at her as he opened the door. "Megan" she said "I missed you."

"So have I" Just the wrong thing to say...what was she thinking?

"How are you doing?" Phillip's smile widened.

"Well," she forced herself to snap back. "Didn't you get my letter? I want you to file for divorce."

"I got the letter. But I don't want to."

"But why? I will not come back to you. This way, you'll be free to marry again."

"But I don't want to marry again. I want you. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for my sake."

He was close to her. Close enough to feel the warmth of his body, to sense the beating in his veins...

"No!" with an effort she turned her back to him. "Don't be a fool, Phillip. Get a divorce and start a new life."

"I hurt you, didn't I?" he put his hand on her shoulder. "when you came to my cell and I rejected you."

"It's past history" she made her voice hard. "you don't owe me anything for that."

"But I want to."

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

If she were to look into his face again she wouldn't be able to resist. Her hands grabbed the edge of a chair, working it with her fingers. She looked down at the floor, not trusting herself to speak.

"Meggy, do you remember how it was?" He was now caressing her hair, trying to make her look at him.

"Don't be stupid." she managed to say between clenched teeth.

"Meggy, you can't tell me that I mean nothing to you."

Her tongue was rubbing against her fangs in anticipation. She didn't want to, but she would. She tried to clamp her jaws shut, to look away.

The door opened, and Barnabas came in.

"Oh, I am sorry. I didn't know you had your girlfriend here."

Megan turned quickly "I want to see you. Now."

There was no mistaking the plea in her eyes. Barnabas took her by the arm, and led her away.

"You came just in time. Five minutes more and..."

"What happened?"

"I came to ask him for a divorce. And he doesn't want to. He wants me back. Can you beat it? He's a fool. And I can't help loving him. "she laughed. "What do I care if I am married or not? it is all the same to me. But while he is tied to me, he can't marry again. Do you understand why I am doing this?

"Yes. Does he know how it is with you?"

"He doesn't care."

"Maybe if... if he saw you feeding it would be different."

"Has he ever seen you?"

"Of course not!" Barnabas was shocked at the idea. "it is not something you do in public."

"A matter of privacy, eh?"

"Not only for me, but the people involved."

"Well, I will have to find someone who won't mind being watched."

* * *

"Christ loves you! Christ died for you!" Quentin thumped the Bible, trying to get some kind of response from the stony faced Indians around him.

"Don't be snared by Satan and his demons! Accept the only Son of God as your Lord and Savior!"

In the back row two followers of Old Munsungan muttered among themselves.

"He's saying that we worship devils, isn't he? That Old Munsungan is a servant of the Devil?"

"Yes. Do you remember when we had Barnabas Collins?"

"I was the one who tied his hands. He didn't like that."

"We could do the same to this fool. Only that he wouldn't get released."

* * *

Barnabas was about to go when Tammy knocked at his door.

"Miss Innes?" he said tentatively.

"Who else? There aren't many blacks in this hick town.

"Mrs. Todd told me about you." he decided to ignore her bad manners.

"What did she tell you?"

"That she was satisfied with your work."

"Surprised that a nigger can actually hack it?"

"She didn't' say that."

"She thinks it. As if she wasn't something much worse. Boy, she's a creep."

"I wouldn't put it that way."

"Of course not. You are another creep yourself. Or is freak a better word? Or monster?"

Barnabas went to the door. "Miss Innes, if you have something to say, say it. If all you want is to insult me, you'll have to leave."

"Oh, I have something to say, all right. Even if you don't like it."

"What is it?"

"I want you to bite me."

Barnabas stiffened "Why?"

"Because I am curious. And this curiosity of mine doesn't let me sleep."

"And I am supposed to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Why not? Am I so different from the others?"

"They have better manners."

"They are white, that's it."

"They are not." she had cornered him, and he hated it.

"Any blacks on your list?"

"As you said, not many of them in town."

"You are a racist."

Barnabas considered grabbing her and throwing her out. But if he did, she'd only keep coming back. Better give her what she wanted, and make it as unpleasant as possible for her.

"All right." he said. "go to the couch and sit down."

"I rather stand."

"As you wish" he came to her side and began massaging her neck.

"What are you doing?"

"You are too tense."

"Why do you care?"

"If you get sick over me, will you pay the dry cleaning bill?"

Her arm was between the two. Ordinarily he would have removed it. But he didn't. It would serve her right if she came out of it with a numbed arm.

He didn't put much care in finding the vein. If his fumbling hurt her, so much the better. And when he finished drinking, he let the blood flow so as to stain her clothes.

He let her go, as she moved unsteadily backwards.

"If you want to get sick, do it outside " he snarled at her.

"I will be all right. Next time..."

"There won't be a next time. I don't care to ever set eyes on you again. Get out and stay out!"

* * *

"Come children" Sister Kira said "What are you?"

"Lambs of God!" the children shouted.

"Do you want to on being Lambs of God?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to do what God says?"

"Yes!"

"Do you know what God says?"

"Yes!"

"What does God say?"

"We must do what Sister Kira says""

Kira smiled. A pity that the children weren't older. But young as they were, children have their uses...

* * *

Sabrina wondered what to do. Confront Maggie with her knowledge? She would only get fired. And she didn't have enough proof.

Go at it without authorization? It was risky. Everybody and his cousin was a leaker in Washington. It was hard to keep a secret, such as he conducting an investigation.

Allow Sebastian to go on blackmailing Maggie?

Up to now, the money demands seemed to be reasonable, and no political demands. She could see why Maggie paid him to keep him out of her hair.

The situation warranted monitoring, in case something changed, but in the meantime, she'd better give people like Gladys and that new kid, Bob Woods, some other trail to follow, so that they forgot any unusual behavior from her that they might have noticed.

So, keep monitoring for now.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Harry Redwolf had waited for Barnabas all day, and it showed.

"What's the problem?" Barnabas asked.

"Quentin, Damn fool is about to get himself bushwhacked. Not that it would be a bad idea, mind you."

"He's been preaching to the tribe." Barnabas nodded. George had told him that Carolyn was involved. The problem was how to solve it without Quentin screaming religious persecution. "He's stirring up Old Munsungan's followers, I take it?"

"They got a right to be angry. Look, I don't mind Christianity, but the born-again kind is a different story I will tell you what their party line is : Man is a sinner. He cannot save himself. You can only be saved through Jesus Chris. Or rather, the nearest white man you can find."

"Not bad" Barnabas smiled "rather a caricature, but I see your point."

"So what do you plan to do about it?"

"Me? It is you who can ask for a restraining order against Quentin."

"Will the people in town stand for it?"

"If you raise your quota of town workers, they will."

"You are a horse trader!" Harry laughed "I knew you had something up your sleeve."

"Of course, that restraining order is only a temporary measure. You need something more permanent."

"What do you suggest?"

"That speech you gave me about Christianity, are you the only one?"

"No. There are several who agree with me."

"So organize them into a debating team. Or several. Get them ready to meet any missionaries that Quentin sends. Make sure that all the missionaries meet are the debating teams. This way, the missionaries get to preach as much as they want, and are kept away from Munsungan's followers."

Harry laughed "It is a good idea. How much is Davenport paying you? I bet that it is not enough."

"I am doing it for free."

* * *

Joe Haskell fidgeted in his seat. Why did Megan ask him to come? had she found his part with the gulls? Barnabas had promised to keep the secret. Yet Megan had ways to find out everything...

Angelique led him into Megan's office. He couldn't repress a shudder as he walked along her.

"Why did you ask me to come?" He tried to keep as much distance as possible between himself and Megan.

"I have a business proposition." Megan could feel the fear and hostility in Joe.

"What is it?"

"At this moment, I am the owner of the agency. This creates some problems. Suppose I had to disappear. What would happen to the Agency? Angelique is out of the question, and Chris does not want the job."

"So you want me to be your front?"

"In a way of speaking, yes."

"Why me? Because no one else would be crazy enough to accept?"

"There are advantages for you." Megan said soothingly "I would pay more than what you are making now. You could learn the business. Your social status would be improved. The waitresses at the Blue Whale would flock around you to hear about your adventures, instead of giving you the kind of looks they give you now."

"They have a right to look at me that way."

"I can change all that."

"You can send me back to Wyncliffe?"

"I can prove to you that you are not going back there."

"You can't."

"If I prove it to you., will you consider my proposition?"

"How do you plan to prove it?" In spite of himself he sounded eager.

"As you said, being attacked by a vampire was part of it. That and Chris changing shape."

"So?"

"So if you were to repeat the experience, but in a controlled environment, where you could stop it if it got too hard, they you'd feel better."

"It won't work."

"Don't you want to give it a try?"

"If you want to go for my throat, say so."

"It is not your throat that I want, but your cooperation. But if I were to do it, I want you to understand that it won't be anything like the last time. I would take my time and be as gentle as you need me to be." She smiled. "And you know by now that with me, you also get laid."

Joe said nothing, studying Megan.

"Think of it, Joe" Megan glanced out of the window...Phillip wasn't coming yet. "If you did it, you'd never have to worry about the guys in the white coats again..."

* * *

Phillip opened the door. He would be able to convince Megan not to go through the divorce action. As he might have, then other night if Barnabas hadn't interrupted.

"Where's my wife?" He asked Angelique.

"She's..." the black girl talking to Chris began to say, but Angelique cut her off.

"She's in her office."

He opened the door and looked.

...Megan and Joe were embracing, half-naked, across the desk.

* * *

Phillip collapsed on the bed, moaning.

"You saw Megan?" Barnabas asked gently.

"She...she and Joe Haskell.."

"So she did it. I didn't think she'd have the guts."

Phillip sobbed. Barnabas knew that he wouldn't want to be touched now. Specially by him.

"I am sorry." then added softly "but she herself told you how it was with her. Told you at the hospital."

" I didn't think it...it would be like that."

"What did you expect it to be like?"

Phillip made a strangled sound.

"That's what it is like for her. If you cannot face it, then you should give her the divorce she asked for."

"This is your fault" Phillip said. If it wasn't for you we'd be married, have children..."

"I wish I could do something about that. I wish I could make it easier for you. But all I can do is offer you some advice you don't care about, and a shoulder to cry on."

* * *

"Phillip saw us?" Megan asked Angelique.

'Yes. I had to put my hand over his mouth, or he would have screamed his head off."

"So..." there were tears in her eyes "He has no illusions left about me. He will get that divorce now."

"I...I am sorry."

"Don't be" Megan snapped " I hate it when people feel sorry for me." She turned to Tammy and snarled "what are you staring at? This isn't the zoo."

"What about Joe Haskell?" Angelique asked anxiously.

"He'll come around. When he found himself sane after my biting him, he was so grateful that he'd give me the moon if I asked for it."

* * *

Elsa looked at Barnabas somewhat smugly.

"You really didn't have to buy me a present." Barnabas said to her.

"But I wanted to! And it is my money!" She said, firmly. "I made it by selling worms!"

"You should use the money for something else." He said, reasonably.

"I wanted to. I like you!"

"I like you too." he hugged her. "But you should use your money differently."

She snuggled herself in his arms. "All right, I will. But will you keep it this time?"

"If it makes you happy, I will."

Nearby, Alma and Iris exchanged uncomfortable looks. "I don't like it" said Iris. "He doesn't know what he's setting himself up for."

When Barnabas let Elsa go, Iris pulled him gently to a side.

"Do you know what the penalty for statutory rape is in this state?"

"Statutory rape? but Elsa is just a kid."

"I know that, and you know that. But does Lolita know that."

* * *

"It is pleasant here, isn't it, honey?" Frances led Louella into the garden. Summer is getting here, finally. Soon the tourists will be here."

Louella nodded absentmindedly. it was strange to be out of the hospital. Strange to wear something that wasn't a hospital gown.

But Jenny was still there. Jenny and Charity.

"What is it, dear?" Frances was alarmed at the change of expression.

"Nothing." She pulled herself up slowly "What is the construction over there?"

"The Davenport hydroelectric center. It is going to be finished soon. They say that it will employ many people."

"That is good."

"Barnabas Collins was the one who brought it."

...Barnabas...

* * *

"How did you do at court?" Carolyn asked Quentin.

"Very well, I think that they are going to call Redwolf's restraining order unconstitutional Soon we will be able to preach to the tribe again."

"Praise the Lord!" Sister Kira said "the forces of darkness couldn't prevail against the Lord."

"Maybe you could do the same thing at the hospital, Sister."

Kira was silent. Dr. Anderson wouldn't be as easy to deal with as Redwolf had been. In her opinion, there was something fishy about the way Redwolf hadn't fought them. As if he had something else up his sleeve.

Well, the Indian tribe had been Carolyn's idea, not hers. She had her own plans concerning Dr. Anderson.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Frances opened only the barest crack for Quentin.

"Is that you again?" she snapped "You know that you can't talk to her."

"But I have to! I have to explain it to her!"

"Explain what?"

"She's in danger!"

"From you." and with these words she closed the door on him.

He stood there. He had to try again. Before Willie and Barnabas got to Louella.

He pounded the door and screamed "Louella! Come out!"

Frances opened the door just a crack. "You are disturbing her." she said icily.

"Let me talk to her and I'll go."

"If you don't leave I'll call the police."

Louella came to the door "Who is it, Frances?" she asked.

"Nobody" Frances said.

"Quentin!" Louella rushed to the door.

"You have to get out of there, Lou! Come back with me!"

"Back with you?"

"With him and Sister Kira" Frances shot

"Sister Kira?" Louella pulled away from the door. "She with you now?"

"Lou, you are in danger here. Your doctor is Julia Hoffman's husband. And you know that she does Barnabas' dirty work. And so does she" he pointed to Frances. "look at her throat if you don't believe me."

Louella looked at both Quentin and Frances. She felt weak. Mists formed before her eyes.

"You have to make a choice" Charity's voice reached her again.

"Quentin..." she moved towards him "Why did you leave me alone?" She hadn't the strength to scream those words. "Why were you always telling me you'd come back and never did? Willie never did that to me."

"You agreed you couldn't come with me, Lou. If you stay here, Barnabas will come for you."

She looked at him. There was an earnest look in his eye. That sincere earnest look that she knew only too well.

"So you believe that he loves you?" She remembered Jenny's words.

But if he loved her for real? This time it might be true...

There were tears in his eyes.

He's crying for me! He loves me!

"Quentin!" he raced for the door.

"Mrs. Loomis" Frances caught her wrist "you must not exert yourself"

"I am not Mrs. Loomis! I am Beth Chavez!"

She struggled to get free of Frances' grip.

"Lou!" Quentin called her.

"Quen..." Somewhere Jenny laughed. Charity said something. Frances tugged at her arm. He legs were weak...

She fell down.

* * *

"You say that it was the will of God that the Pilgrims came to America?"

"Yes." Buffy said "they wanted to live according to God's rules."

"Do you know what the Indian population was before they came?"

"No."

"Millions of people. Where did they go?"

Buffy stared at the bellicose young woman.

"They were butchered by your God-fearing Pilgrims. Do you know that they threw babies into the fire?"

"They didn't!"

"I can show you the documents."

"I don't believe it!"

"They tried to wipe us out! It is called genocide, what they did." She got up. "And you have the gall to call the God of our murderers a good God.!"

Barnabas and Davenport watched this exchange, amused.

"It seems that the Redwolf debating team is keeping the missionaries busy."

"They keep out of the way of Munsungan's followers, and they can witness to Indians as long as they want. This way everybody's happy."

"Construction is going fast." Davenport looked at it. "You are a smart cookie."

"Me?"

"I talked with Redwolf. He said that the debating teams were your idea."

"It was obvious, really."

"And to think that with your brains, you busy yourself with Government paperwork. You are too decent to be a bureaucrat."

"I need the money."

"I could hire you. Look, I am not kidding. A few more years of shuffling paper, and you won't be any better than the rest of THEM."

"Them?"

"Washington bureaucrats."

"They are not that bad."

"A good friend of mine killed himself because of them. Get away from them while you can."

* * *

Louella opened her eyes slowly.

"Is he...?"

"He is gone. He won't bother you again."

"I want to go with him!" she tried to get up.

"You cannot go anywhere in your condition."

"Let me look at your throat!" her eyes were burning again.

"What for?"

"Is it true what he said? About you and Barnabas?"

"Honey, Barnabas could have come to you while you were in the hospital. He could have pulled strings to send you to your husband's. Yet he didn't. Won't you at least give him credit for that?"

"I haven't seen your throat yet."

"Suppose I had marks on my throat. What would that prove? I am not the only one in town who has. As ,long as you don't, you have nothing to worry about."

"He...he and my husband...the two of them."

There was no conviction in her voice. As if she was trying t convince herself more than Frances.

"It isn't true. If I were you, I wouldn't believe anything that Quentin says."

"You believe anything that Barnabas tells you?"

"I owe him much." She sat down opposite Louella "when he first came to me, I had tried to kill myself with sleeping pills. He realized what I had done, and made me walk until the ambulance came. Then he came to visit me every night, until I could stand on my own two feet."

"He drank your blood, too."

"He earned every drop of it."

* * *

Kira took out her matryoshka doll. A toy for children, And more than a toy.

She would take care of Dr. Anderson tonight.

She opened the dolls one by one until she found the smallest of them. So small, so easy not to see...

And so powerful.

She placed it on top of the table and stared at it. Then she touched it lightly.

The doll vanished.

* * *

"Has Quentin been back?" Julia asked Frances.

"Several times. But she hasn't seen him."

"Good. Kenneth will like hearing that."

"I wonder if it is really the best for her. She has these dreams. She calls him in her sleep. If she saw him as he really is, she wouldn't be the prey of her fantasies of him."

"There are not so much fantasies as memories. But I agree. She will have to confront him. But only when she is stronger. Does she want to see Willie?"

"No."

"That's bad."

"I also need to have the prescriptions refilled. I am running out of tranquilizers."

She pulled the key around her neck and opened the drawer to empty bottles.

"What's the gun doing there?"

"I keep it, in case I need protection."

"Should you have it in the same house with her?"

"The drawer is locked at all times."

* * *

Kenneth turned on the light before going up the stairs. Julia wasn't back yet. He couldn't help a feeling of annoyance.

He knew that he had no right to it. She was as busy and dedicated as himself. But in the back of his mind was the feeling that he didn't get married to get back to an empty house.

The little doll rolled from its corner. Its painted eyes seemed to move, studying the path of Kenneth's feet.

Then, as Kenneth foot reached the step where the doll was, it quickly rolled under the sole. Kenneth shifted the weight of his body to that foot...

Kenneth fell backward, missing the handhold.

His back hit the steps. Again, and again, until he reached bottom.

* * *

"Quentin..." Louella muttered "Quentin..."

It sounded between a question and a complaint. She felt Charity's hand over her forehead. She heard Jenny laugh somewhere.

"Think Louella, think" Charity said.

"I am not Louella, I am Beth."

"You are both of them."

"I cannot be. I must be one or the other."

"Which one would you be?"

"Can I choose?"

"You can always choose."

"How do I choose?"

"Keep thinking. You will find the answer."

Jenny laughed. "It doesn't matter. Beth or Louella, you will end at Widow's Hill."

* * *

Julia opened the door. She was tired. She wanted so much to snuggle against Kenneth.

''Julia...help me.."

What was that? Where was Kenneth?"

"Julia...help me..""

She looked around.

And saw the heap at the foot of the stairs.

* * *

Kira's fingertips closed on the doll. It had returned, its job done.

She lifted it. There was a crack on its side. Dr, Anderson's shoe had done it. She'd fix the crack. It would be fixed faster than Dr. Anderson would be.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Iris joined Julia in the waiting room.

"I am so sorry..."she held Julia's hand.

"They tell me that he'll be crippled." Julia spoke without looking at Iris. "Why?" she shouted. "Why can a little thing like that do so much damage? He was measuring the cabinets, yesterday, and I told him to be careful...And he just tries to go up the stairs and this happens."

"It is bad, I know."

"Why do these things have to happen? What sense there is to it?"

"Julia, do you have a place to sleep tonight?"

Julia shook her head.

"You can stay with me or with Barnabas..."

"Why" Julia asked again "Why am I being persecuted? Why am I being punished?"

* * *

Quentin was admitted to Carolyn's presence. Nicholas, who showed him the way, gave him an ironic smile that he couldn't understand.

"Did you call me?" he asked Carolyn.

"I have good news. They are going to release Uncle Roger."

"Really? That's good news." Not if what he hears about Roger was true, but...

"He's going to be here for the wedding."

"The wedding? Who is getting married?"

"I am." Carolyn smiled.

"And may I ask who is the lucky man?"

"You are."

"What?

"You are marrying me."

"But...I..."

"Unless you prefer going to jail for embezzlement."

"Embezzlement?" he swallowed saliva, "If this is a joke."

"It isn't a joke. You have been dipping too freely in the jar of cookies and I can prove it. I can either use my money to cover it up, or call the cops. Which do you prefer?"

Quentin looked at her in horror. "You! You never converted! You made believe you did to trap me!"

"You are getting smarter, cousin. Or should I say darling? You couldn't convert your way out of a paper bag. Specially when you are living in sin with a married woman. Billy Graham you ain't"

Quentin looked down.

"Well," Carolyn repeated "What do you think of my offer?"

"Why me?"

"Because I want to be Carolyn Collins, and there are only three available males for it. I cannot do that to poor Uncle Roger. Barnabas is out of the question. That leaves you to be the legal father of my child.:"

"Legal?"

"You won't have to sleep with me. I will not risk any werewolf heredity. No, I will have a child, and you will recognize it as your own. Maybe several children. You will be rewarded for it."

* * *

Frances fixed herself some coffee. Quentin was such a snake. If he was planning to marry Carolyn Hawkes, why pester Louella as he did?

What would happen when Louella found out about the marriage? She had managed up to now to keep it a secret, but she doubted that she could do it much longer.

And Dr. Hoffman couldn't come. You could hardly expect her to, with her husband on the critical list. She would always talk with Barnabas, but let's face it. With all the best intentions, Barnabas was only a well-read layman. And if Louella saw him, it would make matters worse.

At least Louella was getting stronger. Physically, at least. But whether she was emotionally strong, strong enough to see Quentin as he really was, and not be destroyed by it...

Upstairs, Louella saw the sun approach the horizon.

"Soon it will be night again." she thought. "another day gone, and I still don't know what I can do."

"There is something you can do."

Who said that? Charity? Jenny? There were times when she could not tell them apart. Their voices dissolved into the same questions.

Questions...Who are you? Are you Beth Chavez? Are you Louella Loomis?... Why did you marry Willie?.. Why did you love Quentin?...Why did you think that Quentin loved you?...

Sometimes the questions came with Charity's gentle prodding, sometimes with Jenny's laughter.

The sky tinted itself red.

Soon Barnabas would be out. Looking for her...

She shrugged. She didn't believe that anymore. Maybe it came from listening to Frances. Maybe it was that time he had come to her at the hospital..

It hadn't been a dream. He had been there, alone in the room with her. He hadn't touched her. Had not come near her. He just spoke to her.

He had said that he and Willie had never been lovers.

But Quentin had said they were.

"Don't you know Quentin better than that?"

"You still believe Quentin, don't you?" Jenny, it was Jenny... That vicious laughter. "Do you know what Quentin is going to do? He's marrying Carolyn Hawkes. Ask Frances if you don't believe me."

"Marry?"

"Carolyn Hawkes." Jenny laughed harshly "not you. He never meant to marry you. You are not a fit wife for him. No money, with a scandal attached... he will never marry you."

"No!" Louella screamed "Charity!"

Charity's hand comforted her. "Tell me that it isn't true! Tell me that he isn't marrying Mrs. Hawkes!"

Charity was silent.

"As Frances. Ask her."

"Louella, are you all right?" Frances came upstairs, quickly, alarmed at the screams.

"Quentin's getting married, isn't he? To Mrs. Hawkes?" She looked through Frances as she spoke.

"How did you find out?" Frances blurted. "Hone, I am sorry. He's no good. You are better off without him..."

He's getting married...

* * *

"Come here, honey, but the fireplace. You are too cold." Frances led Louella.

"She's got a gun." Jenny's voice filled Louella's mind.

"Frances?"

"What do you want, honey?"

"Could I have some tea?"

"Certainly,"

As Frances turned her back, Louella picked up a vase and hit her on the head with it. Frances fell on the floor.

"Good!" said Jenny "She's got the key around her neck. The gun is in the third drawer."

* * *

When Frances came to, it was dark. It didn't take her long to feel the irritation at her throat where Louella had pulled at the string before it broke... The key was gone, and when he looked up, the drawer was open...

And the gun was missing.

She called Barnabas wondering what she'd do if he wasn't there, if she couldn't reach him in time.

But she got him, and minutes later, he was in her living room, listening to her story.

"Louella found out about Quentin marrying Carolyn. I don't know how. And I have no idea how she knew where my gun was. I never opened that drawer in her presence."

"Jenny" Barnabas said " There was no way that Frances could keep Jenny away.

"It is my fault" Frances' voice was reaching an hysterical pitch. "I shouldn't have kept a gun."

"Calm yourself." Barnabas shook her. "how did she get at the gun?"

"I turned my back on her and she hit me on the head."

Barnabas felt the lump. "Better have a doctor see it. Look Frances, I know where Louella is now. Call Willie and tell him to wait outside Collinwood."

"Yes."

"And you go to the emergency room to get your head checked."

Louella was in Collinwood now. And so was Quentin. Probably in the same room where Beth Chavez had tried to kill Quentin in 1897. How Louella had gotten in, why Quentin had gone there were details. Jenny would see to them.

He could only hope he got there in time.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Louella rocked herself. She was alone. Alone except for Jenny and the knowledge that Quentin would come soon.

She caressed the gun. Soon its bullets would pierce Quentin's flesh.

Barnabas fluttered outside the window. He had been about to come in and take the gun from Louella's hands when Charity stopped him.

"She has to work it out by herself."

"The gun can go off accidentally. Quentin won't be hurt because the portrait protects him, but she can die. Or go to jail."

"Go inside then. But don't rush her. It has to be her decision now."

"Can't you say something to her?"

"It is up to her, now."

There were steps coming. Barnabas sent himself to the darkest corner of the room and stood there.

"Tell me what to say to her, Charity. Give me the right words."

Louella's hand tightened on the gun.

"Why are you here?" Barnabas felt the words pour out of his mouth.

"I am waiting."

"Why are you waiting?"

"Quentin will come."

"Why is he so important? Why is he so important to Beth Chavez? Why is he so important to Louella Loomis?"

I...I...

"Who are you? Are you Beth Chavez? Or are you Louella Loomis?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters. Beth Chavez died at Widow's Hills. Louella Loomis is alive and has a husband who loves her."

"It doesn't matter!"

Quentin walked into the room.

"Lou!" he said in surprise "how did you get here?"

"I have come to kill you." She got up, pointing her gun at him.

"Lou! Wait! Don't do it!

"Stay where you are. Keep smiling. I want to see that smile of yours up to the moment I kill you."

"You'll destroy yourself if you pull that trigger." Barnabas said from his corner.

"No..." she kept pointing the gun at Quentin.

"Willie will be hurt. Do you want to hurt Willie?

"He lied to me."

"Beth Chavez pulled the trigger and she died. Louella Loomis can give up the gun and go back to Willie. Which one would you rather be?"

"He hurt me!"

"Why did you marry Willie?"

"Why ask me that?"

"Why did you love Quentin?"

Quentin saw Louella's hand falter. Maybe he could bolt.

"Don't move, you fool" Barnabas hissed at him.

"Why ask me these questions?" Louella lowered the gun a little bit.

"Because Willie loves you and you love him."

"Lou, let me explain to you..." Quentin began to talk.

"Shut up!" Barnabas snarled at him. "No one asked for you opinion." Why did you marry Willie?" he asked gently.

"Because Willie is loyal. Because he keeps his promises. Because he is everything that Quentin is not."

"Why did you love Quentin?"

"Because he's dashing and handsome, and charming. And because I never knew him for what he really was."

"Give me the gun, Louella."

"No! He has to die."

"Why do you want to hurt Willie? He's waiting for you now."

"He...he wants me back?"

"He always has."

"After what I did to him?"

"He loves you."

Louella looked at her gun, at Quentin. How cheap Quentin looked! How could she ever been dazzled by him? She wasn't Beth Chavez anymore. She was Louella Loomis and Willie loved her.

She turned to Barnabas with fresh tears in her eyes. "Take me to Willie" she said, simply.

Barnabas took the gun, quickly, and slipped on the safety catch before putting it in his pocket. He turned to Louella just in time to catch her before she collapsed.

He took her in his arms and walked past a stunned Quentin.

"Barnabas" Quentin muttered.

"What?"

"Thanks."

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for her and Willie."

* * *

Carolyn made some fuss when she saw him coming towards the door, with Louella in his arms.

"I can have her arrested for trespassing."

"Carolyn" he sighed. "Don't push me. Hurt her or Willie, and you'll regret it."

There was something in his expression that made her desist. She just opened the door to him and watched him go off into the darkness.

"Make sure she never comes back!" she shot when she couldn't see him anymore.

Willie's truck was there, and so was Willie, pacing nervously.

"Is she all right?"

"She is." He let Willie hold Louella. "You go in with her. I'll drive you two home."

It was a short drive to Willie's house. He could hear Willie and Louella, but tried not to listen to their conversation.

He parked, and helped Willie and Louella to get out.

"Barnabas.." Willie said, embarrassed at the doorstep.

"I know. Two's company, three's a crowd. Just go inside and forget about me."

"Thanks. For everything."

* * *

"Here's your gun" Barnabas gave it to Frances.

She caught it anxiously "It hasn't been fired." she said with relief.

"Not, it hasn't. But I want you to be aware that having a gun, even for protection can be dangerous."

"I know. How's she?"

"Back with Willie. Did you go to a doctor?"

"Not yet."

"You should. Head blows can be tricky."

"It isn't that important."

"It could be dangerous."

"Look, I am a nurse and I know more about this type of blow than you do! Just tell me what happened."

"She was ready to kill Quentin. I convinced her not to. He wasn't worth throwing her life away."

"You don't like Quentin much." Frances shrugged "Neither do I."

"I find that I like him less and less" Barnabas admitted "It hit me today. He was exactly in the same position he had been in 1897. He hadn't learned anything since then. Still the same tricks, still the same attitudes...And when I think of how he hurt Willie... No, I don't like him at all."

He took out his checkbook.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a check out for you. For all the trouble you took with Louella."

"You don't have to do that."

"I have to. You worked for it."

"But...we are friends"

"Frances, if I can take your blood, you can take my money."

"But you are already paying for Louella's hospital bill."

"Wrong. Willie is. What I did was arrange for an easy payment plan in exchange for my talking to Maggie about certain matters they were interested in."

"But that's influence peddling!"

"The very word."

* * *

Will Kenneth recover? What is Sister Kira's true agenda? How will David's treatment proceed? And what about Maggie's secret? Will it remain secret, or will it raise itself to hurt her?

Stay tuned...


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